Public Relations

Toys"R"Us to Open on Thanksgiving
November 9, 2015 at 11:20 am

Toysโ€œRโ€Us will once again open its stores at 5 p.m. on Thanksgiving, sticking with its strategy of having one of the earliest start times for the Black Friday sales weekend. The Wayne, N.J.-based toy retailer said it again plans to keep all of its stores open for 30 straight hours, throughout the night on Thanksgiving andโ€ฆ

REI is Paying its Employees to Take Black Friday Off
October 27, 2015 at 12:11 pm

On Black Friday this year, outdoor gear and apparel retailer REI is putting its money where its motto is. The store that touts its dedication to โ€œinspiring, educating, and outfittingโ€ its customers and community to explore nature is staying closed on one of the nationโ€™s busiest shopping days and will pay its employees to spend theโ€ฆ

GameStop to Close Stores on Thanksgiving This Year
October 13, 2015 at 2:04 pm

GameStop has announced its brick-and-mortar locations will remain closed on Thanksgiving, the latest in a new trend this holiday that sees some retailers opting not to compete as aggressively for sales that day. Over the past several years, retailers have increasingly pushed back store opening times to kick off the holiday season. First they inched earlier andโ€ฆ

lululemon's Chip Wilson: I Was Board's โ€˜Scapegoatโ€™ After Fat-Shaming Women
October 9, 2015 at 10:57 am

lululemon founder (and one of Canadaโ€™s richest self-made billionaires) Chip Wilson rarely gives in-depth interviews, and probably for good reason. Confronted about the cult yoga clothierโ€™s costly product recall during a now-infamous 2013 TV spot, Wilson stumbled through an answer, blaming not lululemonโ€™s black Luon material for being too sheer but instead womenโ€™s thighs andโ€ฆ

Wal-Mart Criticized for 'Little Amigo' Costume
September 25, 2015 at 11:33 am

It's almost Halloween, which means it's time for retailers to roll out their offensive Halloween costumes. This year, Wal-Mart's "Little Amigo," noticed by Complex, is kicking things off. It's everything you'd expect. The costume includes a serape shirt, sombrero and mustache that you can put on your probably-not-Hispanic kindergartner. The costume was taken off Wal-Mart's websiteโ€ฆ

Why Whole Foods is Selling Coffee for 25ยข
September 16, 2015 at 11:24 am

At "Whole Paycheck," a cup of Joe now only costs a quarter. Without much fanfare, Whole Foods recently launched a special discount aimed at energizing customers โ€” and sales, of course. The deal, valid through the end of September, offers 12-ounce cups of brewed coffee at Whole Foods for just 25 cents apiece. The price isโ€ฆ

Spirit Halloween Faces Outcry Over Caitlyn Jenner Costume
August 28, 2015 at 11:16 am

The largest chain of specialty Halloween stores in the country is facing public outcry after announcing it would be carrying a Caitlyn Jenner costume for this yearโ€™s holiday. Advocates for transgender rights and everyday shoppers alike are calling on seasonal retailer Spirit Halloween to rethink its decision to sell a costume in Jennerโ€™s likeness.  

Bloomingdale's Accidentally Gave Shoppers Up to $25,000 in Store Credit
August 19, 2015 at 3:10 pm

Some Bloomingdaleโ€™s Loyallists, aka the department store's loyalty program shoppers, got a major surprise in their inbox when a computer glitch gave them thousands of dollars of store credit. BuzzFeed reports that emails to shoppers seemed to have accidentally added dollar signs to their Loyallist points. For example, 5,000 points usually gets you a $25โ€ฆ

Why We Dropped Trump's Menswear Line: Macy's CEO
August 14, 2015 at 9:09 pm

Macy's chief Terry Lundgren said Wednesday it was a business decision to end the retailer's 11-year menswear collection partnership with Donald Trump. Trump stirred a storm of criticism by making disparaging remarks about Mexican immigrants when he announced his bid for the GOP presidential nomination in June. Refusing to comment on what Trump said, Lundgrenโ€ฆ

Sephora Fans Are Calling Epic Rewards Day an 'Epic Fail'
August 12, 2015 at 1:18 pm

Monday was Epic Rewards day at Sephora, a promotion in which Sephora Beauty Insider Points of 1,000, 2,000, 5,000 or 10,000 could be redeemed for really, really good gifts. As in 10,000 points could get you a trip to Paris to visit Lancome, or $500 of Make Up For Ever products along with a trainingโ€ฆ