About 6 years ago

03/29/2018 - The Real Retail Killer

The Real Retail Killer

– The New Republic

The New Republic explores how private equity is gouging some of the country’s best-known corporate brands.

A Find At Gap: Steady Hours Can Help Workers, And Profits

– The New York Times

The NYT is taking up the scheduling cause. A new study at more than two dozen Gap retail stores in the Chicago and San Francisco areas, undertaken by a team of researchers with the company’s cooperation, aims to rebut the presumption that stable schedules are too costly. The study shows that more predictable and consistent hours aren’t just compatible with profitability, they can significantly improve a store’s bottom line.

Hating Tipping Is Easy. Fixing It Is Almost Impossible.

– The Washington Post

The origins of tipping go back more than a century, to the days when only well-heeled Americans dined out and waitstaff constituted a tiny fraction of the nation’s labor force. Government left the custom alone, even though – or perhaps because – it reinforced the hierarchy between mostly white, male restaurant customers and their servers, often women and minorities.

The Workplace Of The Future

– The Economist

Artificial intelligence (AI) is barging its way into business. Firms of all types are harnessing AI to forecast demand, hire workers, deal with customers, and allow managers to can gain extraordinary control over their employees. The march of AI into the workplace calls for trade-offs between privacy and performance. A fairer, more productive workforce is a prize worth having, but not if it shackles and dehumanises employees.