Direct To Consumer (DTC)

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.   

New York  - New York, Chicago, Las Vegas, Miami and San Francisco rank at the top of the list, reporting the highest luxury sales in per square foot,  according to JLL’s “The New World of Retail Report.”  But while core metro areas ranked at the top of the list of preferred locations, several emerging retail markets like Dallas, Houston and Orlando possess the attributes for longer term success driven by ongoing population and income growth.  

British heritage brand Hunter sets the stage for global expansion with a flagship that offers a modern take on British countryside icons.

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Houston — In its surprise change of leadership, Francesca's Holdings Corp. named Michael W. Barnes as chairman, president and CEO, effective immediately. He joins Fancesca's after serving as CEO of Signet Jewelers since 2011, and leading the company’s $1.46 billion acquisition of Zale Corp. Barnes left the Ohio-based Signet in October, saying he wanted to be closer to his family in Dallas.  

New York — Swedish fashion giant H&M’s higher-end brand COS will make its New York debut on Friday, in the SoHo section of Manhattan. It’s the brand’s second U.S. store—the first, in Los Angles, opened in October. 
  COS,  known for its clean lines and minimalist look, targets a more sophisticated customer than the more value-priced H&M.  The SoHo store has a upmarket feel and gallery-like look, enhanced by the use of glass and white-washed wood.
 

Struggling retailer Francesca's has named specialty retailing veteran Michael W. Barnes as president and CEO.

Greg Brenneman, chairman of the board since 2010, was named lead director.

Barnes had been CEO at Signet since 2011 and led Signet’s $1.46 billion acquisition of Zale Corp. Before that, he spent more than 25 years at the fashion company Gossip Group Inc., becoming president and chief operating officer in 2007.

Teen retailer Delia’s Inc. plans to liquidate operations and file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection "in the very near term."

The company has struggled with weak sales for years and has not reported an annual profit since 2007.

Several teen apparel retailers have been losing market share to fast-fashion brands such as H&M, Forever 21 and Zara.

New York - On the heels of its eight straight quarterly loss, Aeropostale said it would close about 75 stores in the current quarter, and could close 50 to 75 more namesake locations in 2015, and 126 P.S. from Aeropostale stores by the end of January.   The struggling teen retailer reported a net loss of $52.3 million in the third quarter ended Nov. 1,  up from $25.6 million, in the year ago period. It also forecast a bigger-than-expected fourth-quarter loss.  

Philadelphia – Destination Maternity Corp. swung to a net loss of $2.48 million in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2014 from net earnings of $5.63 million in the same quarter last year. Higher cost of goods sold, as well as higher selling, general and administrative (SG&A) charges and other charges, helped push Destination Maternity out the black and into the red.   Net sales fell 5% to $122.05 million from $128.25 million. Same-store sales dropped 5%.