Retail

New York - In an abrupt move, Michael Jefferies, the longtime and often controversial chief of Abercrombie & Fitch, has retired as CEO and stepped down from the company’s board, effective immediately. His retirement caught the industry by surprise, particularly since it comes in the middle of the crucial holiday selling season.    

Florence, N.J. – Burlington Stores Inc. increased its net loss to $34.21 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2014 from $16.86 million in the same period a year earlier amid increased expenses net loss.   By the end of fiscal 2014, Burlington Stores expects to have opened 24 new stores and closed two stores, for a total store count of 543.  

Menomonee Falls, Wis. – Consumers who want to shop at odd hours to avoid dealing with holiday crowds will have plenty of opportunities at Kohl’s. Kohl’s Department Stores will keep its doors open for more than 100 hours straight from 6 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 19 through 6 p.m. on Christmas Eve, Wednesday, Dec. 24.  

Melville, New York - A&G Realty Partners, a commercial real estate, advisory and investment group, has been retained by Alco Stores to manage the sale of approximately 200 Alco store locations, as well as the company’s former headquarters. The sale is a result of the retailer’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing on October 12, 2014.  

New York - Customer engagement is becoming an ever trickier proposition. Thanks to increasing connectivity and functionality of mobile and wearable devices, today’s consumers can enter an intensely personalized, stimulating and informationally rich virtual environment at a moment’s notice. Enticing them with omnichannel promotions is no easy task.  

New York - The Supreme Court handed out a victory to Amazon and other employers when it ruled unanimously on Tuesday that a temp agency was not required to pay workers at Amazon warehouses in Nevada for the time they spent waiting for and undergoing security checks at the end of their shifts.   The court reversed a lower court ruling from last year  which had allowed the workers to sue under the theory that since their screening time was required by the employer, it should be compensated.  

SEATTLE - Amazon.com  has added a new feature, called ‘Make an Offer,’ that allows customers to negotiate lower prices on thousands of items. The new pricing feature allows customers to offer to buy items at even lower prices. If agreed upon, customers can then purchase the items at a savings from the listed price.   

Kearney, Neb. – The Buckle Inc. has made a number of reappointments to its executive staff. Kelli D. Molczyk has been appointed to the position of VP of women’s merchandising, Diane L. Applegate has been appointed to the position of VP of supply chain and merchandising operations, and Thomas B. Heacock has been appointed to the position of VP of finance, treasurer, and corporate controller and has been appointed as a member of the company’s executive committee.