Legal

Mall operator Brookfield Property Partners is suing Gap Inc. for refusing to open stores at the company’s properties in Texas and for owing more than $2 million in unpaid rent over three months, Bloomberg reported last week. “For three months running, Gap has failed to pay rent at virtually every Brookfield location nationwide, even for stores that Gap…

At a time when retailers could do without more stress, the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) compliance deadline of July 1 is fast approaching. Up until now, many retailers have put off CCPA compliance. COVID-19 and our remote workforces have made meeting the looming compliance deadline even more challenging. Working through the intricacies of CCPA…

We live in a time of vast unknowns: No one knows how long the COVID-19 pandemic will last, or how long social distancing requirements will restrict our day-to-day activities. As stay-at-home orders are gradually lifted, COVID-19 cases will continue to emerge until a vaccine is available. Businesses small and large, devastated by state-mandated stay-at-home orders,…

Simon Property Group, the biggest mall owner in the country, is suing one of its biggest tenants, Gap, saying it failed to pay more than $65.9 million in rent and other charges due during the coronavirus pandemic. The court battle highlights the mounting tension between retail landlords and their tenants, many of which stopped paying rent after the…

Consumers are text obsessed, so it should come as no surprise that SMS text messaging is gaining popularity as an effective and efficient marketing medium. According to a recent report, 90 percent of consumers open, read and respond to new text messages within 30 minutes of receiving them. This gives marketers access to target audiences…

Discount retailer Tuesday Morning filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy this week and plans to shutter 230 of its stores due to the coronavirus pandemic, CNBC reported. Tuesday Morning said it plans to permanently close a third of its nearly 700 stores and exit Chapter 11 in the early fall with about 450 locations. During the…

Retail has been facing critical challenges for years: the shifting of power to the customer, the accelerated growth of digital, a surplus of square footage, and balance sheets weakened by years of private equity transactions that didn’t deliver. The industry was already poised for a Darwinian weeding out before the outbreak of COVID-19, but now…

Pier 1 Imports announced this week that it's seeking bankruptcy court approval to shut down its business permanently after it wasn't able to find a buyer, CNBC reported. The home goods retailer said in a press release that it has been trying to find a buyer for months which would continue operating the business, but…

J.C. Penney filed for bankruptcy protection on Friday with plans to permanently close some stores and also explore a possible sale. The department store chain, known for selling family apparel, cosmetics and jewelry at 850 locations, said it reached an agreement with existing lenders for $900 million of debtor-in-possession financing to aid operations while it navigates…

Stage Stores filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy late Sunday, making it the third large retailer to do so in the past week, reports The Washington Post. The company, which operates 738 stores in 42 states under Palais Royal, Gordmans and other nameplates, said it is searching for a buyer and plans to reopen and liquidate…