Strategy

Wal-Mart Stores is undertaking a series of executive changes at its international divisions, starting with a new head for its struggling United Kingdom business, Asda.
 
Andy Clarke, president and CEO of Asda, will step down on July 11, after having worked at the British company for more than 20 years. Asda has been under heavy competitive pressure and has reported seven straight quarterly sales declines.

In their never-ending quest to make the store shopping experience as seamless and painless as possible, an increasing number of retailers are offering variants of curbside pickup.   This simply means consumers can order goods online and then have the items delivered to their car as they wait, usually within five to 10 minutes. Some retailers accept payment ahead of time, while others execute the transaction on the spot with a mobile POS device.  

A retailer that specializes in reproductions of classic lighting products and house parts is quietly expanding under the ownership of Williams-Sonoma.   

Just 9.8% of more than 5,400 financial and accounting professionals say their companies are prepared to comply with the new Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) and International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) lease accounting standards.   That is one of the highlights of a recent Deloitte poll. http://www.slideshare.net/DeloitteUS/new-lease-accounting-standards-are-companies-prepared-to-comply-62702689  

Days after announcing its “Way Forward Plan” reorganizational plan, Ralph Lauren Corp. named three new senior executives who will help oversee it.  

High-quality malls and lifestyle centers are best positioned to capitalize on the shift toward experience-based spending.    That’s according to a new study by the research arm of MetLife Investment Management (MIM), which finds that millennials’ preference for acquiring experiences and memories over material goods will play a significant role in determining which retail formats will outperform in the future.   

Quick-serve giant Subway restaurants has launched a new division, Subway Digital, to transform its customer experience.    Created in collaboration with Accenture, the new division has been charged with building a comprehensive omnichannel strategy and implementation support team to enhance engagement and build loyalty.   

Quality Solutions, Colwich, Kansas, a leading provider of facilities maintenance and constructions services, has changed its name to QSI Facilities.    The company has also launched a new website and introduced a new approach for overcoming “value leakage” in outsourced facilities services.  

Supervalu has moved closer to spinning off its discount grocery store division.
 
The supermarket operator filed Amendment No. 1 to its Form 10 Registration Statement with U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in connection with the anticipated spin-off of its Save-A-Lot business into a separate, publicly traded company.

Retail real estate leaders and analysts discuss the retail landscape, trends in the industry, and projects to keep an eye on.

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