Retail Roundup: Dillard's in Limbo, Nordstrom Employees Caught Stealing, and More

(MoneyWatch)  Investors push Dillard family to surrender control -- Amid recent economic struggles, Dillard's investors asked the Dillard family to give up control of the suffering company on Sept. 25. Officials from the Barington Capital Group and the Clinton Capital group penned a letter to Dillard's board asking that a premium be determined to pay the family for Dillard's Class B shares. [Source: The Associated Press]

Williams-Sonoma prepares for holiday season with strict inventory discipline -- Williams-Sonoma is bracing itself for whatever the next few months may bring by maintaining a conservative outlook, said Chief Marketing Officer Patrick Connolly. The company plans on reducing inventory to stay in line with sales and focusing on the company's "emerging brands," which have continued to grow, even in the recent quarter. [Source: Home Textiles Today]

Study shows consumers are skeptical of how online data is used ?€"- A new report from the Consumers Union's Consumer Reports National Research Center shows although Americans continue to shop on the Internet, 82 percent are concerned about their credit card numbers being stolen online. Meanwhile 72 percent are worried their online behavior may be tracked by companies. [Source: Internetretailer.com]

Former Nordstrom employees steal $20,000 from department store chain -- Police cracked a Nordstrom's theft ring, arresting at least six women for stealing items from branches in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware and Virginia, then returning the goods for refunds. Four of the suspects are former loss-prevention specialists, who were paid to minimize theft. [Source: Myfoxphilly.com]

Frost and Sullivan to host free loss -prevention briefing for retailers ?€"- The international corporate-consulting firm Frost and Sullivan is hosting a telephone and web briefing on eliminating theft. The briefing will cover trends in video surveillance and an analysis of security procedures for both big and small retailers. [Source: Marketwatch]