Leading up to the debut of her new fashion jewelry collection on QVC, Shoshanna Gruss was interviewed by Fashionista, and revealed that she and her fellow designer and mentor, Judith Ripka, share not just the same dog-walking routes on New York’s upper east side, but also the same choice of dog breeds. They both have Maltese dogs. There is little new in this short interview, but one tid-bit stands out. Shoshanna reveals that, as a young woman, she had trouble finding clothing that made her feel good, despite the benefits of a privileged upbringing. She attributes her success to the making of an inclusive fashion line that can be comfortably worn by women of all shapes and sizes. Fashionista Aug. 10, 2010
It’s the “little-commented-on” silver lining of the Great Recession — employees who held onto their jobs are doing pretty well. While the ranks of unemployed workers who have been out of work for 27 weeks or more is a staggering 45% — since World War II, it has never before been above 26% — real average hourly pay has risen nearly 5 percent since the start of the recession in December 2007. Nominal wages (the numbers people see in their paychecks} have risen throughout the slump, as companies have passed along some of their productivity gains to their remaining workers. And inflation, of course, has been almost non-existent. Now, if only the still-employed would stop looking over their shoulders at their less-fortunate neighbors and go on a spending spree, maybe we could kick things into gear… The New York Times Aug. 11, 2010
ShopNBC today announced that it will release its fiscal second quarter 2010 results, and discuss them during a conference call, on Wednesday, August 18. Participating in the call, scheduled for 11:00 am ET, will be: Keith Stewart, ceo; Bob Ayd, president; and Bill McGrath, cfo. Conference call and audio streaming details appear after the jump. Continue reading »
HSN Chief Executive Officer Mindy Grossman and Chief Financial Officer Judy Schmeling will participate in a “Fireside Chat” during Lazard Capital Markets’ 15th Semi-Annual MAGIC Conference in Las Vegas, NV, next Tuesday, August 17th at 11:00 a.m. ET. A live and archived audio feed of the presentation will be available in the investor relations section of www.hsni.com. According to a conference agenda, Felise Kissell, HSN’s senior vice president of investor relations and strategy will also participate in the discussion.
QVC Inc.’s rebound continued in the second quarter, driving a 3% increase in operating income from a year ago for Liberty Interactive (LINTA), which consists of the shopping network and a number of smaller internet businesses. Also posting strong results with a 28% gain in operating income was the Liberty Starz Group (LSTZA), which includes the premium cable network Starz Entertainment. Together, the performance of these units mitigated the operating losses at Liberty Capital (LCAPA) — a collection of media investments — which widened to $83 million from last year’s $19 million. Continue reading »
According to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, HSN has extended Mindy Grossman’s contract through July 2013 and increased her annual base pay from $1 million to $1.2 million, retroactive to February of this year. In addition, the company has increased her maximum, potential, annual performance bonus to 125% of base pay (from 100%) and thrown in a re-signing bonus of 200,000 restricted stock units, which will vest over a three-year period. Last but not least, under terms of the extension, an individual, long-term incentive program will be scrapped and Grossman will now participate in the long-term incentive program applicable to the company’s other executive officers, which could net her 250% of annual base salary, or $3 million, awarded in stock-settled stock appreciation rights with three-year annual vesting and 10-year terms. Form 8-K for HSN, Inc. Tampa Bay Business Journal Aug. 9, 2010
