Human Resources

New York -- As plus-size apparel retailer Avenue Stores emerges from bankruptcy under new ownership, it will do so with a much streamlined store presence.

Paul Halpern, chief investment officer of Versa Capital Management, which bought the chain out of Chapter 11 bankruptcy in February for $32 million, said the current store count of 415 to 420 will be reduced to about 300 to assure profitability.

Philadelphia -- Management consulting firm Hay Group reported Tuesday that employee turnover levels in the retail industry are on the rise.

According to a new survey from Hay Group, an improving job market and solid first quarter sales are impacting turnover. Retailers report a median turnover rate of 67% for part-time store workers, a 33% increase over 2011. One in five retailers report that they have experienced more turnover in the first part of 2012.

NEW YORK — Apparel manufacturer Kellwood Company has named Jill Granoff as CEO. Granoff brings a vast knowledge of the fashion industry and retailing to the position with over 20 years of brand building and executive leadership experience.

The California State Teachers’ Retirement System (CalSTRS) this week filed a lawsuit against current and former Walmart executives stemming from the April 22 New York Times article, which chronicled the company’s alleged use of bribes to accelerate expansion in Mexico and efforts by top executives to quash an investigation when the situation was called to their attention.

SOUTH DEERFIELD, Mass. — The Yankee Candle Company has announced that Gregory Hunt is resigning as EVP finance and CFO, effective as of May 15, 2012.  Hunt, who joined Yankee Candle in 2010, is leaving to join a leading New York based financial services firm.

New York -- The California State Teachers' Retirement System (CalSTSR), the second largest U.S. public pension fund, has filed a lawsuit against current and former Wal-Mart Stores’ executives and board members over mishandling of allegations that officials knew about a bribery campaign in Mexico and covered it up. The fund holds more than 5.3 million shares of Wal-Mart.

Chelmsford, Mass. -- The Kronos Retail Labor Index edged down to 3.8% in April from a March level that was revised three-tenths lower. Even with declines over the last two months, the Retail Labor Index remains above levels seen over the last few years, averaging 4.0% over the first four months of this year, up from 3.5% last year. (The Index is defined as the ratio of hires to applications within a given month, expressed as a percentage. A level of 3.0) means that for every 100 applications received, three hires occurred)

The seventh annual Best Companies for Leadership Study conducted by the global consulting firm the Hay Group ranked Walmart eighth.

Walmart’s eighth  place ranking on the top 20 list is one notch better than the prior year, but slightly below the company’s 6th place ranking in 2009 when it made the list for the first time.