Human Resources

Livonia, Mich. -- It’s Labor Day, time to start thinking about Halloween.

In anticipation of one it calls of the largest retail holidays in the U.S., costume superstore, Halloween City, is creating thousands of temporary jobs to staff the hundreds of Halloween City stores now opening across the country.

The retailer is recruiting up to 10,000 new employees to fill temporary management and store associate positions nationwide.

Target Corp. has a new finance chief and executive VP. Cathy Smith officially joined the discounter on Sept. 1, coming from Express Scripts, the nation’s largest pharmacy benefits manager, where she was also CFO.  

A seasoned retail leader, Smith also held CFO positions at Walmart International, GameStop, and others. Target recently posted a Q&A with Smith on its Bullseye blog. Here are some highlights:

What made you decide to take on this role at Target?

Bloomington, Minn. -- A three-year old specialty grocer that plans 60 stores by 2019 is entering a new state.

Fresh Thyme Farmers Market will open its first Minnesota store, in Bloomington, on Sept. 30.

"Fresh Thyme is excited to open its first Minnesota store in Bloomington," said Fresh Thyme's CEO Chris Sherrell. "We love meeting new people in the communities we join, and we look forward to offering a shopping experience that encourages healthy and nutritious buying habits."

Washington, D.C. -- The National Retail Federation continues to turn up the heat on the Labor Department’s proposal to expand overtime pay.   

New York -- The International Council of Shopping Centers named a 26-year Deloitte veteran as the fourth individual to lead the global trade association in its 58-year history.

Thomas (Tom) McGee, currently vice chairman, Deloitte LLP, was appointed president and CEO of ICSC, effective Sept. 21. He succeeds current ICSC President and CEO, Michael P. Kercheval who announced his retirement earlier this year.

Washington, D.C. -- The Labor Department is not extending the comment period on the Obama administration’s proposal to expand overtime pay. Its decision drew a no-holds barred response from the nation’s largest retail organization.

Chesapeake, Va. -- Dollar Tree swung to a loss in its second quarter on higher integration costs related to its acquisition of a formal rival. But its revenue skyrocketed as a result of the merger.

On July 6, Dollar Tree completed its $9 billion acquisition of Family Dollar Inc.

Greensboro, N.C. -- The Fresh Market named a veteran food retailer who once led Food Lion as its new president and CEO. The hiring follows the abrupt termination of the chain's former CEO and comes as the once high-flying chain has seen its sales stagnate.