Legal

Senators Call for Antitrust Panel to Evaluate Kroger-Albertsons Merger
October 20, 2022 at 4:56 pm

The proposed $25 billion Kroger-Albertsons merger is already running into significant opposition from progressive lawmakers and others, according to CNN. A Senate antitrust panel will hold a hearing next month on the Kroger-Albertsons merger focused on how the deal could impact competition in the grocery industry. This comes after several senators raised concerns and called on…

Privacy and Cybersecurity for Retailers in the Metaverse
October 20, 2022 at 10:41 am

Imagine a customer walking into a clothing store. She browses the racks, selects a few items, and asks the sales associate for a dressing room. She walks to the dressing room and tries on the clothes. Then she heads to the counter, pays for some of the items, and leaves. We take for granted —…

Sephora Fined $1.2M for Violating California's Privacy Law
August 25, 2022 at 6:09 pm

California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced on Wednesday that the state reached a settlement of $1.2 million with Sephora for breaching the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) after it was determined the beauty retailer sold people’s data without telling them. After conducting an enforcement sweep of online retailers, Bonta found Sephora failed to process people’s requests to opt out…

Bankruptcy Court Approves $15.4M Bonus Plan for Revlon's 'Critical' Employees
July 27, 2022 at 7:23 pm

Revlon, the makeup giant that filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy last month, will give 160 "critical" employees a bonus after a federal bankruptcy judge approved the bonus plan on Friday. The Manhattan judge in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court granted Revlon permission to spend $15.4 million as part of a "key employee retention plan," according to…

Ron Johnson's Enjoy Technology Files for Bankruptcy
June 30, 2022 at 6:13 pm

Enjoy Technology, a retail startup founded by former Apple and J.C. Penney exec Ron Johnson, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Thursday, mere months after it made its stock market debut. The company’s liquidity has dwindled while its business has suffered from staffing shortages. Enjoy, which operates mobile retail stores, went public in October…

Apple Workers at Maryland Store Vote to Unionize
June 20, 2022 at 5:20 pm

Employees at a Baltimore-area Apple store have voted to unionize, making it the first of Apple's 270-plus stores in the U.S. to join a union. In the election, 65 employees at Apple’s store in Towson, Md., voted in favor of being represented by the union, known as the Apple Coalition of Organized Retail Employees (CORE),…

Revlon Files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Protection
June 16, 2022 at 12:13 pm

Revlon filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Wednesday evening as it grappled with a cumbersome debt load and a snarled supply chain. The cosmetics giant said it expects to receive $575 million in debtor-in-possession financing from its existing lender base, which will help to support its day-to-day operations. The filing “will allow Revlon to offer…

Starbucks Union Creates $1M Fund to Cover Lost Pay for Striking Baristas
June 2, 2022 at 4:56 pm

The union backing organizing efforts at Starbucks is creating a $1 million fund to cover lost pay for baristas who go on strike, giving workers more firepower in their fight to unionize. The financial backing comes amid a nationwide unionization push that has already included workers at some Starbucks locations staging walkouts and strikes. Once it’s…

Walmart Sues BJ's Over Self-Checkout Technology
March 24, 2022 at 3:00 pm

Walmart and its big-box warehouse subsidiary Sam’s Club are suing rival retailer BJ’s Wholesale Club, accusing BJ's of stealing technology that powers a popular self-checkout option in the Sam’s Club mobile app. The lawsuit, filed in federal court this week, claims Walmart worked for years to develop Scan & Go, a feature that lets Sam’s Club…

Amazon Referred to DOJ for Potential Criminal Obstruction of Congress
March 10, 2022 at 5:11 pm

A House Committee is urging the Department of Justice (DOJ) to investigate Amazon.com over what lawmakers contend is potentially criminal obstruction of Congress, reports CNBC. In a letter sent Wednesday and addressed to Attorney General Merrick Garland, a bipartisan group of lawmakers alleged that Amazon repeatedly misled the House Judiciary Committee throughout a 16-month probe into…