Strategy

By Will Poindexter and Coleman Mark, Bain & Company
 
Retailers need to quickly build world-class IT capabilities for omnichannel retailing — a seamless, integrated shopping experience, whether the customers are in the store or online. The major reason: customer expectations are rising, in part thanks to the strides made by new competitors with business models built on technology, and pure-play retailers like Amazon, which are not encumbered by legacy environments and physical stores.
 

Boston - ShoeBuy, a global online retailer of shoes and clothing, is expanding into footwear manufacturing. The company has acquired a minority stake in Boston Boot Company.

Now, the complete Boston Boot Company product line is available at ShoeBuy.com, bringing the brand to millions of shoppers. Financial details of the deal were not disclosed.

Deerfield, Ill. - Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc. has named George Fairweather, formerly group finance director of Alliance Boots, as executive VP and global CFO, effective Feb. 20. Fairweather will succeed Timothy McLevish, who served as Walgreens CFO since August 2014, where he oversaw the merger with Alliance Boots to form Walgreens Boots Alliance and served as the initial global CFO of the combined companies.

Los Angeles -- Commercial builder Bernards is currently constructing two major downtown Los Angeles mixed-use projects: Grand and 12th, a major multifamily project in the popular South Park district, and Olive at Pico – both owned by The Wolff Company and designed by TCA Architects.

“[Grand and 12th] and Olive at Pico are vital residential projects and will fulfill an immediate need for housing in downtown Los Angeles,” said Carl Vizcarra, project executive with Bernards.

ShoeBuy, a global online retailer of shoes and clothing, is expanding into footwear manufacturing.

The company has acquired a minority stake in Boston Boot Company. Now, the complete Boston Boot Company product line will be available at ShoeBuy.com, bringing the brand to millions of shoppers. Financial details of the deal were not disclosed.

New York -- Small formats are all the rage in retail these days, so no wonder the latest data from Nielsen shows 2014 was another year of record growth.

The U.S. convenience store count increased to 152,794 stores as of Dec. 31, a nearly 1% increase from the year prior, according to the 2015 NACS/Nielsen Convenience Industry Store Count.

The Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) says retailers support a strong pre-emptive federal data breach law that allows for reasonable and clear notice triggered by potential customer harm.

In testimony this week before Congress, Brian Dodge, executive VP at RILA, will focus on retailers’ priority of supporting a strong preemptive federal data breach law that allows for reasonable and clear notice triggered by potential customer harm.

Washington, D.C. -- Restaurants will remain the nation’s hottest hirer this year.  An annual report by the National Restaurant Association indicated that, as it has for the last 16 years, the restaurant industry employment will outpace employment growth in 2015.