Williams Sonoma

(Newser) - Chuck Williams, who founded the Williams-Sonoma empire and ushered in an era of aspirational culinary retailing, has died. He was 100. The retailer of high-end home goods said Williams died of natural causes Saturday at home in San Francisco. Williams opened his first Williams-Sonoma store in Sonoma, Calif., in 1956...

(Newser) - As a sluggish economy pinches retailers, many are now turning to computer programs to track employee productivity, the Wall Street Journal reports. At Ann Taylor stores, a computer system calculates average sales per hour, units sold, and dollars per transaction —then automatically schedules the best workers during the store’...

(Newser) - A top telecom veteran has been named CEO of struggling Qwest. Edward Mueller, 60-year-old former chief executive of Ameritech and Williams-Sonoma, takes the reins  from Dick Notebaert, who ran the company for five years, the Wall Street Journal  reports. The country's fourth-largest telephone company, Qwest faces increased pressure from competitors...