Corporate Responsibility Programs

As of Dec. 1, 42 retail brands have signed the Mitigate Racial Bias in Retail Charter, a national initiative to address racial bias and discrimination in shopping experiences, the Open to All nationwide nonprofit announced. The new signatories include industry leaders Cartier, CBL Properties, Ben Bridge Jeweler, Glossier, LVMH, maurices, URBN (Anthropologie, Free People, Nuuly, and…

In episode 376 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Jenna Arca, director of workforce development at The Home Depot, the largest home improvement retailer in the United States. Arca discusses the launch of The Home Depot's Path to Pro job-seeker marketplace for skilled tradespeople and hiring trade professionals (0:47), the origin of the…

Employers across every industry should be creating equal opportunities for their frontline employees. One of the ways this can be accomplished is by adopting the concept of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). But what does DEI truly mean? It can look different for each company, but essentially, as BuiltIn put it, "DEI is any policy…

In episode 373 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Michelle Van Slyke, senior vice president of marketing and sales at The UPS Store, the franchised subsidiary of United Parcel Service. Van Slyke discusses The UPS Store's launch of its new Start Small, Grow Big program, designed to support the next generation of small business owners and…

Numerous studies have shown that racial and ethnic minorities, as well as women, are still woefully underrepresented in technology roles. However, the retail tech industry doesn't just have a diversity issue; there's an inclusivity issue as well. At a session focused on diversifying your tech workforce during last month's Total Retail Tech event in Nashville,…

Footwear and apparel company Adidas announced Tuesday that it has cut ties with the musician Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, following antisemitic comments and hate speech he recently posted on social media. Adidas, known for its sporting goods wear based out of Germany, had a nearly decade-long partnership with Ye that included his Yeezy…

The Home Depot launched a new jobseeker marketplace created to connect skilled tradespeople to hiring trades professionals in the construction and home improvement industries. Skilled trades jobseekers can visit PathtoPro.com to create a profile, upload their resume and add photos of their work to connect with The Home Depot's Pro customers looking to hire in…

Walmart announced on Tuesday the launch of the Walmart Healthcare Research InstituteSM (WHRI) to increase community access to healthcare research that may help lead to safer, higher quality and more equitable healthcare. WHRI will be focused on innovative interventions and medications that can make a difference in underrepresented communities, including older adults, rural residents, and women and…

Amazon.com announced Wednesday it would spend $150 million in venture capital funds on firms that are backing companies founded by underrepresented founders. The online retail giant dubbed the initiative "Amazon Catalytic Capital" and expects to support more than 10 funds and over 200 companies through the next year, it said in a press release. The company…

REI is encouraging its employees to exercise their right to vote this November by delaying the opening of its stores by two hours on Election Day, reports Footwear News. On Nov. 8, every employee will receive paid time off as part of the outdoor retailer's Your Vote Can’t Wait campaign. REI has also created an election resource hub…