Retail Roundup: CVS Rolls Out High-End Beauty Store, Value City Sued, and More

CVS rolls out high-end beauty store --- Roughly a week after acquiring Longs Drug Stores, CVS Caremark launched its latest venture: the first upscale Beauty 360 store. Additional Beauty 360 stores, which will sell cosmetics ranging in cost from $15 to $170, are intended to be tacked onto CVS locations in coming months, and officials expect to target areas with high-end clientele. Despite the down economy, CVS appears calm about the expansion, citing the fact that beauty margins in general are higher than other margins in the drug-store industry. "All of this leads to a higher profit model or a quicker return," said Mike Bloom, senior vice president of merchandising. [Source: Reuters]

Value City sued -- Mere days after filing for bankruptcy and announcing plans to liquidate all merchandise, Value City Department Stores was hit with a lawsuit filed on behalf of the company's workers, who claim the chain violated federal law when it failed to notify employees in advance of last week's layoffs. According to the suit, Value City didn't provide employees with 60 days' written notice of termination as is required for a layoff of more than 50 employees. Once a chain comprising more than 100 stores, Value City was whittled down to 37 locations over the past year before hitting rock bottom. [Source: The Columbus Dispatch]

Kohl's launches bold, early campaign -- Aggression is nothing new for Kohl's, the department-store chain that famously promised to roll out 75 stores this year, and the company's bold holiday marketing strategy follows suit. Kohl's began advertising its holiday specials Nov. 3, a week earlier than usual, and is increasing by 50 percent the number of times it sends e-mail notifications touting price slashes to consumers. Lacing its campaign with promises of bargains, the company is also offering 50 percent more "special savings days" than it did last year. [Source: Heard on the Runway]

eBags.com CEO gives up position -- eBags.com CEO Jon Nordmark is stepping down from his position at the helm of the e-commerce site after a decade of service. Nordmark, who helped found the company, will serve as a consultant for at least two years and will aid in the search for his replacement. The company increased its revenue by 22 percent year over year and by 28 percent in the second quarter. [Source: internetretailer]