Strategy

Toys "R" Us named Mark Johnson executive VP, U.S. marketplace operations, effective immediately.    Johnson had been serving as interim executive VP, store operations since May. He joined the company in October 2014 as regional director for stores before being promoted to VP of operations, strategy and execution in 2015.   

Online subscription beauty retailer Birchbox may be looking to sell itself.   The company has been discussing a potential sale with several retailers, including Walmart, reported Recode. If the discounter were to acquire Birchbox, it would be the chain's fifth e-commerce acquisition since last August.   

Despite posting a loss for the second quarter, Wayfair’s brand continues to gain traction and square off against competitors.   For the second quarter ended June 30, the home decor and furnishings e-retailer narrowed its net loss to $38.9 million from $48.3 million in the same period a year ago. It also posted a smaller-than-expected second quarter loss of 26 cents per share, beating analyst expectations of 46 cents per share, according to FactSet.  

Retailers are eager to combat the force of Amazon, but they lack the strategy, marketing dollars and digital resources to do so.   Specifically, 44% of retailers do not know how to respond to the power of Amazon, according to “A New Path for Retail: Co-Existing with the Force of Amazon.” The report is from Bluecore, a commerce decision platform provider.  

Move over Amazon — China's largest online player is looking to take on the world.    Now the largest e-commerce company in the world with $430 billion in gross merchandise volume, Alibaba is seeking to become a global company as well with a goal of serving more than 2 billion shoppers, according to a new report by global think tank FGRT (Fung Global Retail & Technology).  

Everyone’s trying to figure out what drives consumers to purchase. But to understand how they shop, you need to know what makes them tick.   Alliance Data’s Analytics and Insights Institute conducted a study with more than 2,400 respondents to better understand consumer buying habits and expectations. These insights, cross-referenced with results from our "Understanding Customer Loyalty" study, confirmed that consumer buying habits track closely with life stage and each generation’s cultural identity.

A veteran retailer has joined the executive team of Sally Beauty.   Sally Beauty Holdings has named Carrie McDermott as president of its Sally Beauty operations in the U.S. and Canada, effective August 29, 2017.  

Global retail and brand consultancy Fitch has appointed Andy Barlow creative director.     Barlow will relocate from the U.K. to lead multi-disciplinary creative teams, and work closely with the leadership across North America to grow and broaden the region’s offer. With over 25 years of design experience, agency and client side, Barlow has worked with Tesco, Harrods, and Amazon among others.