News

American Apparel’s Dov Charney seeks $40 million in damages as chain’s loss widens
New York -- There is no let up of bad news for American Apparel. The company’s founder and ousted CEO, Dov Charney, plans to file a lawsuit claiming $40 million in damages related to breaches of his employment contract.

The disclosure came on the heels of news that the Securities and Exchange Commission has opened an investigation into the circumstances surrounding Charney’s departure.
American Apparel's struggles continue
Trendy teen retailer American Apparel reported a deep decline in fourth quarter revenue, as the company grapples with a social media scandal and losses stemming from an investigation of its former CEO.

Super Stop & Shop puts Key Me kiosks in select stores

Quincy, Mass. - Ahold will install KeyMe retail key-making kiosks at select Super Stop & Shop locations in Massachusetts, Connecticut and New York. The kiosks enable customers to safely store a “digital copy” of their keys in the cloud and create a spare copy at their local Super Stop & Shop in less than 30 seconds.
Profit drops as Belk embarks on expansion

Belk blamed costs associated with strategic initiatives for its drop in profit in the fourth quarter.

The retailer reported a 7.8% decrease in net income to $146.1 million during the fiscal year that ended Jan. 31, compared with from $158.5 million in fiscal 2014.
Report: More and more retailers transitioning to single order management system

Boston – During the next three years, 250% more retailers are transitioning to a single order management solution (OMS) to support a unified commerce experience across all channels, according to a new special report by Boston Retail Partners. The study, “Order Management is the New POS,” explains how many retailers are planning to adopt a single order management system and the numerous benefits it presents to improve operations and enhance the customer experience.
Maxwell joins Orchestro in key role

Former Walmart executive Gary Maxwell has joined leading demand analytics provider Orchestro as the firm’s chief solutions officer.

Maxwell, a long-time member of Orchestro’s advisory board, retired from Walmart in 2013 after holding a variety of senior supply chain, replenishment and process improvement roles during a 14 year career. Prior to Walmart, Maxwell spent five years in a senior supply chain role with the now defunct Caldor chain.
Signet Q4 earnings jump 30%

Hamilton, Bermuda -- Signet Jewelers Ltd. on Thursday posted a better-than-expected 30% surge in profit its fourth quarter.
Lululemon strikes a better pose in Q4

Shoppers had a hankering for more yogawear during the holidays, as retailer Lululemon saw better-than-expected traffic and results for the fourth quarter.

Net revenue for the quarter increased 16% to $602.5 million from $521 million in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2013. Same store sales increased by 8% for the fourth quarter.
Brown Shoe aims to drive traffic with designer deal

Brown Shoe Company has added another big name to its big portfolio of designer brands.

The retailer says it will produce and distribute Diane von Furstenberg brand women’s shoes for the 2016 season through a new licensing deal.
Loyalty programs found to be lacking

Retailers are surely getting tired of hearing about how their digital capabilities fall short of customer expectations but that familiar drumbeat is contained in a new report from Capgemini Consulting called, “Fixing the Cracks: Reinventing Loyalty Programs for the Digital Age.”