Management

In a surprising move for the conventional Fox News pundit, Bill O'Reilly came to the rescue of Ellen DeGeneres, who is currently facing heat from conservative groups over her recent partnership with J.C. Penney.

Ralph Lauren's president said the company and J.C. Penney have decided to drop the exclusive American Living line of home, apparel and accessories goods, which, when it launched at J.C. Penney in 2008, marked the retailer's single largest brand introduction in history.

Workwear retailer Duluth Trading Co. has promoted Stephanie Pugliese to president and chief merchandise officer, effective immediately. Duluth Trading said that Pugliese most recently served as senior vice president of product development and marketing, spearheading the evolution and expansion of Duluth Trading's women's line.

Hidden behind a disguise so effective he was unrecognizable by even close colleagues, Oriental Trading Company CEO Sam Taylor recently went undercover to learn more about his company. The results of this look inside the nation's largest direct retailer of party supplies, arts and crafts, toys, and novelties will air Friday, March 9 on CBS's hit series "Undercover Boss."

A concerned mother is taking to Facebook to rally against Urban Outfitters after being shocked by the hipster retailer's selection of raunchy, sex-themed books in a Valentine's Day display during a visit to its Boston location with her 13-year-old daughter last week.

Toys"R"Us has named Richard Barry as senior vice president, chief merchandising officer, for its U.S operations. In his new role, Barry is responsible for all aspects of merchandising initiatives for the company's U.S. operations.

Urban Outfitters has appointed a former executive as CEO of its namesake brand. The company named Tedford Marlow as head of the Urban Outfitters Group, effective Feb. 6. Marlow had retired from the chain in 2010.

At a factory about an hour west of Sichuan's capital Chengdu, Foxconn Technology Group, one of Apple's biggest manufacturing partners, employs hundreds of thousands who work day or night shifts, eating and sleeping at company facilities, as they help build electronics products for Apple and many other global brand names, such as Amazon's Kindle and Microsoft's Xbox.

J.C. Penney said it fully backs its partnership with talk show host Ellen DeGeneres after a conservative group urged the retailer to reconsider hiring DeGeneres as a spokeswoman because she's a lesbian.

The saying "The customer is always right" has been proven true by U.K. supermarket chain Sainsbury's. Thanks to an online campaign, the grocery king has announced it will change the name of its Tiger Bread to Giraffe Bread.