Finance & Capital Management

Photos: Sam Dushey before his appearance on “Undercover Boss,” (photo, left) and after he underwent his undercover transformation (photo, right). Via CBS.com

Having a view into store activities can mean many things, but in a very literal sense being able to see what’s happening in the store is crucial for security and risk management.

For Atlanta-based, 24-store specialty golf retailer PGA Tour Superstore, getting a better store-level view has meant starting to upgrade a legacy analog video management system (VMS) to a modern IP-based VMS.

Children’s Place did the most shareholder friendly thing possible just days after it announced a slate of other shareholder friendly measures.

Less than 12 hours after Macy’s shared bleak holiday results, J.C. Penney Co. said enhanced digital capabilities and strong demand for its private-label offerings helped it to produce strong holiday season same-store sales growth, which allowed the company to reaffirm its full year profit forecast.

For the retailing industry, 2015 was another year of seismic shifts as merchants continued to keep pace with the evolving digital landscape. It was also a busy year of executive comings and goings. Here is my pick of industry executives — all new to their positions — to keep an eye on in 2016.

From its artisan-looking shops and grocery-styled product displays to its ethical sourcing and activist ethos, Lush Fresh Handmade Cosmetics has always marched to the beat of a different drummer.

At a time when many retailers are cutting back on store expansion, Soft Surroundings is doing just the opposite, growing its retail footprint with a prototype that brings its brand experience to life. The women’s lifestyle brand, founded in 1998 as a catalog retailer, opened its first store in 2005. But it’s only been in the past couple of years that Soft Surroundings, which also has a thriving online business, has made a big push into brick-and-mortar. (In summer 2013, private equity firm Brentwood Associates took a majority interest — 55% — in the firm.)

With the retail industry continuing to face abundant legislative challenges, the Retail Industry Leaders Association has made two key hires to bolster lobbying efforts during what promises to be a year of highly contentious presidential politics.