Clothing design, development off to N.Y.
BENTONVILLE, Ark. - Wal-Mart Stores Inc. will move the design and development of its apparel to New York in a bid to revive declining clothing sales and cut production time. Wal-Mart will close the development and sourcing divisions for men’s, women’s and children’s clothing at its Bentonville headquarters, said spokeswoman Linda Blakley. She declined to say how many jobs would be affected.
The back story: The retailer said last year that it was expanding its design studios in New York and named new executives after clothing sales faltered. Wal-Mart has said it moved too fast into fashionable lines such as Metro 7 dresses. It now will concentrate on upgrading T-shirts and other basics in a variety of colors.