OPERATIONS / SUPPLY CHAIN

Bentonville, Ark. – Three members of a group of about 20 people protesting working conditions at Walmart were reportedly arrested in Manhattan yesterday. According to the AP, the protestors, which included current and former Wal-Mart employees as well as supporters, gathered outside a New York City building where a member of Wal-Mart’s board of directors has an office.

Ann Arbor, Mich. -- Retailers’ strides toward satisfying their customers was the subject of a survey conducted by CFI Group, which found that retailers' physical store and online presence were meeting consumer expectations, but store associates, price and checkout are areas needing improvement.

Woonsocket, R.I. – CVS/pharmacy is offering members of its ExtraCare loyalty program double their ExtraBucks quarterly reward earnings between Sept. 16 and Dec. 15. Members can sign up for double earnings in-store or online and receive 4% instead of the usual 2% back on all eligible front-store purchases in the form of “ExtraBucks” that can be spent like cash in the store.

New York -- Target Corp. will follow the lead of several other retailers, including Walmart, and allow shoppers to pick up select goods ordered online in its stores, the Star Tribune reported.

Target will introduce the service, referred to as Buy Online, Pick Up in Store (BOPS), in its hometown Minneapolis market and then expand it to all of its U.S. stores by Black Friday, according to the report.

Mississauga, Ontario – Canadian interactive retailer The Shopping Channel is relaunching as TSC. The relaunch includes an upgraded and redesigned website, as well as a new "ShopTSC" app for iPhone, iPad and mobile website.

Washington, D.C. -- The National Retail Federation calculated retail industry job gains at 43,600 in August, with marked increases in clothing, general merchandise and electronics stores.
 

Ann Arbor, Mich. -- Seventy-seven percent of consumers say shipping costs factor into their willingness to shop online. Results of the CFI Group Retail Satisfaction Barometer for second quarter 2013 also show that the most common consumer activity on retail websites is browsing and researching before in-store purchase (59%).

New York -- J.C. Penney Co. plans to end its association with the Martha Stewart brand after disappointing sales, according to the New York Post. The report, which cited unidentified sources, said the decision was made by Penney CEO Myron Ullman, who returned to the chain in April following the ouster of Ron Johnson.