Strategy

Francesca's is adding a retail industry veteran to its board.

The retailer has appointed Martyn Redgrave as a member of the board of directors. The appointment is effective immediately. Redgrave will serve on the audit committee and the nominating and corporate governance committee.

Now that the dust is clearing from the Amazon Prime Day sales “holiday,” we can take a look back at this unique retail event, which livened up the typical lull of mid-summer. Let’s review three initial lessons the retail industry can learn from what some observers called the “summer Black Friday.”

Every Day can be a Holiday

Scottsdale, Ariz. – Kahala Brands isn’t taking chances when it comes to payment card security. The restaurant franchisor group is naming Cybera as an authorized provider of payment card security to all 2,600 of Kahala Brands' store locations.

Ross Stores is crossing off a big chunk of its to-do list as the retailer moves forward with its plans to open 90 stores in 2015.

Lakeville, Minn. - Mid-America Real Estate Corp.’s investment sales team recently brokered the sale of Heritage Commons in Lakeville, Minnesota (part of the Minneapolis metropolitan statistical area) to Austin, Texas-based Epic Real Estate Partners. Epic purchased the 138,690-sq.-ft. grocery-anchored neighborhood center.

Heritage Commons is anchored by Cub Foods and is complemented by national and local tenants including Subway, Papa Murphy’s, Great Clips and American Dental.

Houston – Francesca’ Holdings Corp. has appointed Martyn Redgrave as a member of the board of directors. Redgrave served as Limited Brands' executive VP and chief administration officer from March 2005 to August 2012 and also served as CFO from January 2006 to May 2007.

Northeast grocery chain A&P may not have been able to make a go of it, but other retailers are already looking to capitalize on the failed supermarket's real estate holdings. 

Framingham, Mass. – Staples Inc., famous for the “easy button,” is partnering with UPS to ease the shipment of UPS packages from any U.S. store location. Customers now can charge the cost of shipments at Staples to their UPS account, which means they don't have to prepare labels ahead of time and will see the invoice, and any customized rates, on their regular UPS invoice.