White House Black Market (WHBM)

Because of the tone and tenor of the presidential campaign, lots of folks might be surprised to learn there are many other significant races going on across the country. These so-called “down-ballot” elections for governors’ offices, U.S. House and Senate seats, state legislatures and other offices may hold the real clues for what the next four years entail for employers, no matter who wins the White House. Believe it or not, there are substantive candidates actually discussing substantive kitchen table issues that impact families and communities.

Park West Village

Location: Cary/Morrisville, North Carolina

Size: Approximately 750,000 sq. ft.

Owner: CASTO

Key tenants: Target, T.J. Maxx, Buy Buy Baby, Ross, PetSmart, Earth Fare, Chili’s, Travinia, Hallmark, Carter’s, Gander Mountain, Stone Theatres, Chico’s, White House Black Market, ULTA, Pier 1, Charming Charlie’s, Firebirds, Blackfinn Ameripub, LOFT, Starbucks

The House of Representatives has passed a bill that would delay by six months the effective start date of the Department of Labor's (DOL's) new overtime regulations.   The new rule will require employers to pay overtime to salaried workers earning less than $47,500 a year, double the current threshold of $23,660.      Five House Democrats joined 241 Republicans to support moving the rule's effective date from Dec. 1 to June 1.   

In a scenario that few could have predicted, Walmart has emerged as one of President Obama’s most reliable corporate allies, a partner that has backed the White House on more than a dozen initiatives, including Obamacare and climate change, bloomberg.com reported.  

Let’s talk about pizza, shall we? A truly historic and transformative moment occurred in Cincinnati, Ohio early this month that changes the way college students can satisfy their late night munchies. Xavier University installed the nation’s first Pizza ATM. It’s open 24 hours a day, seven days a week and serves up fresh, restaurant-quality pizza cooked in minutes. The school’s dining service announced the occasion with a Tweet that reads, “One small step for pepperoni, one giant leap for pizzakind.”  

Today’s retailers face significant challenges as online increases its share of wallet, mall-based stores stumble, technology requirements mount, and customer engagement remains elusive for many. The business environment is clearly marked by the need to rationalize store counts, headcount, and product count.
 
As management faces up to these challenges, they seek purposeful justification of expenditures, higher shareholder returns, and greater customer engagement.
 

Today’s retailers face significant challenges as online increases its share of wallet, mall-based stores stumble, technology requirements mount, and customer engagement remains elusive for many. The business environment is clearly marked by the need to rationalize store counts, headcount, and product count.
 
As management faces up to these challenges, they seek purposeful justification of expenditures, higher shareholder returns, and greater customer engagement.
 

The Department of Labor's (DOL) proposed overtime regulations are one step closer to becoming a reality for the American workforce. On March 14, 2016, the DOL submitted their final version of the regulations to the White House's Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review, signifying the last step in the regulation becoming law.