Retail

A California-based teen retailer is launching a major expense reduction initiative in the wake of disappointing second quarter results.

Austin, Texas – Many smaller retailers only consider meeting the upcoming Oct. 1 deadline for EMV compliance as a small concern.

Despite the fact retailers face a shift in payment card fraud liability if they do not have EMV-compliant POS systems in place by Oct. 1, a new study from Software Advice finds that only 22% of small-to-midsized business (SMB) retailers are prepared to meet the deadline. However, the percentage of SMB retailers who are EMV-compliant has doubled from 11% in 2014 to 22% today.

The Woodlands, Texas – Conn’s Inc. named a new CEO as part of a planned succession, and also announced it beat Wall Street expectations for profit in the second quarter.

Following a year-long repositioning initiative, Conn’s has appointed Norman Miller to serve as CEO and president.

Miller brings more than 30 years of business leadership experience, most recently serving as president of Sears Automotive, and as president and COO of DFC Global Corp.

New York -- Fast-fashion giant H&M is expanding its upscale store brand, Cos, in the United States.

Cos, known for its minimalist-styled fashions, will open its first store in Boston, on Newbury Street on Sept. 25. The new space, the brand’s third location in the United States, will offer womenswear and menswear collections with 2,960 sq. ft. of sales area, spread across two floors.

New York -- Two very different retail companies have filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

Supermarket retailer Haggen filed for bankruptcy after struggling for months to digest a huge acquisition that has proved troublesome from the start. Surfing and skate apparel chain Quiksilver Inc. also sought protection, a victim of online competition, fast-fashion merchants and teens’ fickle tastes.  

Here is more information on both:

On a day when his company reported its fifth straight quarter of sales declines, the CEO of Barnes & Noble sounded a positive note, telling the Wall Street Journal that the retailer is looking at a new store prototype.

New York -- Barnes & Noble on Wednesday reported its fifth straight quarter of sales declines. But the CEO sounded a positive note, telling the Wall Street Journal that the retailer is looking at a new store prototype.

“The industry is evolving, and we think there are opportunities ahead with a different format,” CEO Ronald Boire told the Wall Street Journal on Wednesday. “I’ve sat in on a couple of meetings about this and we’ll have more to discuss later.”

New York – What’s in a name? When that name is Tiffany, as Costco discovered, potentially some hefty financial penalties.

Federal judge Laura Taylor Swain has ruled in favor of Tiffany & Co. in a suit the luxury retailer initially brought against Costco Wholesale Corp. in February 2013. The civil suit sought damages for what Tiffany said were fake “Tiffany” engagement rings Costco sold at one of its stores in Huntington Beach, California.