Retail

Bloomberg Macy’s Inc faces a difficult road as it dives into New York City real estate development. The struggling retailer, trying to generate cash off prime real estate in midtown Manhattan, recently unveiled plans for a 1.5 million-square-foot building atop its iconic store in Manhattan’s Herald Square. But the proposed office tower requires zoning changes that have to be approved ...

Bloomberg Mitchell Modell, chairman and chief executive officer of Modell’s Sporting Goods, has a framed letter from his grandfather, Henry Modell, hanging on the wall of his New York City office. He said he likes to look it over, to remind him what’s at stake as he struggles to keep the 131-year-old family business afloat. “Keep and cherish the good ...

Bloomberg Harrods Department Store Co, a big tourist attraction in London for Chinese shoppers, has prohibited staff from wearing masks when dealing with customers because it may fan unfounded concern about coronavirus. The luxury British department store said it’s not allowing face masks on shop floors due to the “risk of spreading further anxiety” among customers and staff. The move ...

Bloomberg Amazon.com Inc is severing ties with small delivery firms around the country — putting at least 1,300 drivers out of work — in an effort to eliminate partners that aren’t meeting its standards. Bear Down Logistics, an Illinois company that rapidly expanded over the past two years, is shuttering operations in five states and letting go of about 400 ...

Bloomberg Walmart Inc’s Jetblack, a personal-shopping service for busy urban families, will cease operations on February 21, according to a company spokesman. The brainchild of Walmart’s online chief Marc Lore, Jetblack will be integrated into the parent company’s operations and its technology applied to other parts of the retailer. Nearly 300 employees will be let go as part of the ...

Bloomberg Kraft Heinz Co, the iconic food giant created in a merger five years ago, was downgraded to junk by two credit raters, raising fresh worries among investors that a slowing economy could threaten the broader corporate bond market. The packaged-food company was cut one level to BB+ by S&P Global Ratings, following Fitch Ratings last week. It will now ...

Bloomberg Saks, Gucci, Louis Vuitton and other luxury retailers were accused in a lawsuit of agreeing to not hire sales clerks from each other’s stores in violation of US antitrust law. The companies conspired to enter into “no-hire agreements” that prohibit them from hiring employees who have worked within six months for rival brands, according to the complaint filed last ...

Bloomberg Forever 21 Inc is moving out of its parents’ house. US Bankruptcy Judge Kevin Gross said in a hearing that he would approve the sale of the retailer to its two largest landlords — Simon Property Group Inc and Brookfield Property Partners LP — and Authentic Brands Group LLC, marking the end of control by the Chang family. Forever ...

Bloomberg For the past few months, Under Armour Inc executives have promised that 2020 would be the coming-out party of a brand-new company, a shift from defense to offense after a multiyear restructuring and a change in leadership. After revealing fourth-quarter results and 2020 projections that trailed analysts’ expectations, the company issued a sobering set of expectations for investors. Revenue ...

Bloomberg Bed Bath & Beyond Inc fell sharply after reporting that a key measure of sales contracted in December and January, the latest sign the home-furnishings retailer faces a tough road back to growth. “We are experiencing short-term pain in our efforts to stabilise the business, including the pressures of store traffic trends,” Chief Executive Officer Mark Tritton said in ...