Management

About 200 people who want companies to make it easier for people with minor criminal records to get jobs protested at the Minneapolis headquarters of Target Corp. on Wednesday. The protesters were with TakeAction Minnesota. They marched into Target's headquarters urging the retailer to lead the way on changing how companies screen prospective employees. 

Management consulting firm Hay Group reported yesterday that employee turnover levels in the retail industry are on the rise. According to a new survey from Hay Group, an improving job market and solid first-quarter sales are impacting turnover. Retailers report a median turnover rate of 67 percent for part-time store workers, a 33 percent increase over 2011. One in five retailers report that they've experienced more turnover in the first part of 2012. 

Kellwood Company, a leading apparel manufacturer and marketer owned by an affiliate of Sun Capital Partners Inc., today announced the appointment of Jill Granoff as CEO. Granoff brings a vast knowledge of the fashion industry and retailing to the position with over 20 years of brand building and executive leadership experience. As CEO, Granoff will be responsible for the overall growth and direction of Kellwood's diversified portfolio of brands, including Vince, Rebecca Taylor, David Meister, BLK DNM, Zobha, Lamb & Flag, Baby Phat, Phat Farm, Sag Harbor, Briggs NY, Jolt, My Michelle, and XOXO. 

Barry Judge, Best Buy's global chief marketing officer, has stepped down. An executive close to Best Buy confirmed the departure. Mr. Judge's former Twitter handle @BestBuyCMO is now blank, and he is tweeting from @barryjudge. The retailer did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

American Apparel, which has long advocated for comprehensive immigration reform and criticized the apartheid-like treatment of undocumented workers, closed its factory yesterday for several hours so its workers could join a march and related pro-worker activities in Los Angeles. American Apparel CEO Dov Charney joined the workers to show his support for the fair treatment of all workers, domestically and internationally, and his unwavering support for prompt, fair and effective immigration reform in the United States.

Completing a global search that began in February, Gap announced that Stefan Larsson, a veteran of nearly 15 years with the successful fashion retailer H&M, will become the first global brand president for Old Navy.  Larsson will join the company by October. The announcement comes as Gap prepares to open its first Old Navy store outside North America, in Japan, in July. 

HSN has named Anne Martin-Vachon as its new chief merchandising officer, effective May 14. Martin-Vachon will oversee HSN's merchandising and planning teams and report directly to Mindy Grossman, CEO of HSNi. In her role as CMO, Martin-Vachon will oversee the product development, assortment, pricing, category expansion and merchandising of HSN brands across all product categories. In addition, she'll be responsible for the overall merchandising strategy, development of new product offerings and brand partners as well as work closely with HSN's executive team to determine investment opportunities to expand and complement HSN's diverse merchandise assortment. 

Wal-Mart announced this week the nomination of Google executive Marissa Mayer to its board of directors. Mayer, 36, joined Google in 1999 as its first female engineer and 20th employee and quickly ascended the executive ranks, first as vice president of search and now as vice president of local and maps. She also sits on Google’s operating committee, an elite group of executives that oversees every critical product launch and decision. It’s not difficult to see why Wal-Mart would want Mayer. She's a minor celebrity as a young, self-described “geek” succeeding in a male-dominated field.

Wal-Mart said it will hire 100 additional developers in India as part of its @WalmartLabs unit, which is focused on growing the retailer’s social media and mobile presence globally. In November, WalmartLabs, under the retailer’s global e-commerce group, will build an operation in India to use social media and digital technology to attract shoppers.

Burberry, the U.K.’s largest luxury goods maker, reported fiscal fourth-quarter sales that trailed analysts’ estimates and said it remains vigilant as growth slows in Europe.