Strategy

Greg Portell, lead partner in the retail practice of global strategy and management consulting firm A.T. Kearney:   

Amazon is staking a claim in the appliance market in a big way in a partnership with Sears Holdings.   The embattled retailer announced it will sell its prized Kenmore-branded appliances on Amazon. The deal opens the way for the broadest distribution to date of Kenmore products outside of Sears stores and its websites. Distribution will be nationwide, and Sears Home Services and Innovel Solutions units will provide delivery, installation, and other services.  

The rate at which data breaches are hitting and impacting businesses shows no sign of slowing. In fact, according to the Identify Theft Resource Center, the number of breaches so far this year has already surpassed the number of breaches around the same time last year by almost 35%. (Here’s a list of breaches that have already occurred this year.)   

Sprint is expanding its growing store network in the Pacific Northwest.   The company plans to open 12 new retail locations throughout Washington by the end of 2017. Currently, Sprint operates more than 107 stores throughout the state.   In Oregon, Sprint plans to open nine stores in the Portland Metro area by yearend. The carrier current has more than 64 locations throughout the market.  

Staples is making a bold move to modernize its supply chain.   The office supplies giant is adding a robotic material handling solution across its network of fulfillment centers. Designed by Great Star Industrial USA, LLC, the automated robotic storage and retrieval system incorporates two types of automated guided vehicles (AGVs) into a unified system that brings both high and low cubic velocity items to a single pick and pack station.  

An important demographic for many retailers appears to be staying home more these days.   In remarks at  Fortune’s Brainstorm Tech Conference in Aspen, Colorado, Target CEO Brian Cornell cited an 11% dip in shopping activity among Hispanic consumers in the past several months. (A Target spokesman said later he was referencing industrywide data from the NPD Group, The Star-Tribune reported.)   “There’s almost a cocooning factor,” Cornell said.  

Fred's named Jason Jenne as executive VP and CFO. He will replace outgoing CFO Rick Hans, who is leaving to pursue other opportunities. Hans will stay onboard as an advisor until August 18, to ensure a smooth transition.  

Amazon isn’t wasting any time in entering the booming meal kit category.