Finance & Capital Management

After an initial public stock offering earlier this year, Ollie’s Bargain Outlet Holdings has added public company governance experience to its board with the appointment of Rue21’s top executive.

Ollie’s said Robert Fisch, chairman, president and CEO of specialty apparel retailer Rue21 had joined its board and increased to seven the number of members. Prior to Rue21, Fisch was president of Casual Corner Group and he has also served as a board member at Children’s Place Retail Stores.

In a retail world focused on omnichannel strategies, product and service innovations, IT investments and technology-enabled stores of the future, winning retailers are taking a new look at their store labor models and budgets. Store associates represent one of the biggest contributors to the success or failure of brick-and-mortar stores. In many ways, they are a retailer’s most powerful asset.

Gelson’s Markets, which operates 18 full-service specialty grocery stores in Southern California, is supporting ambitious growth plans with a back-end technology upgrade. Gelson’s will implement JDA space and category management solutions to increase the efficiency and automation of its planning activities.

Lessons in Leadership is the name of a new documentary film profiling the life and contributions of Food Lion co-founder Ralph Ketner who turned 95 this month.

Learn how Saks Fifth Avenue reduced its energy use by 23% and saved millions of dollars—with no adverse impact on the customer experience — at a Webinar on Thursday, September 24, 2015, at 2 p.m. (EST). Hear first-hand how Saks is adding to its bottom line by reduced energy consumption.

Gary Levitan, senior manager of energy and utilities for Saks’ parent Hudson’s Bay Company will explain how the retailer used data to win budget approval for energy efficiency projects — and build longer-term energy plans.



Columbia, S.C. -- Industry veterans Terry Brown, Jason Tompkins, and Sam Judd last month launched Asana Partners, a retail real estate investment company headquartered in Columbia, South Carolina.

Drawing from the team's deep operational and investment background in retail real estate, including more than $15 billion in transaction activity over the last 15 years, the company will acquire, own, and operate retail properties in dynamic markets across the United States.

Flipkart, a leading Indian online marketplace, is naming three new technology executives with experience at some major global retail and IT firms.

The Retail Industry Leaders Alliance (RILA) is refuting public claims about retailers lagging behind banks and card networks in transitioning to EMV compliance. Randy Vanderhook, executive director of the Smart Card Alliance, said in a San Diego Union Tribune article that although consumers have largely been issued EMV-compliant chip cards, retailers have not been activating terminals or completing chip migration.