Strategy

Aston, Pa. - Actions Services Group, a national lighting maintenance, sign maintenance and electrical services company, has signed an agreement with Stage Stores for interior lighting maintenance and electrical services for three of its retail brands. The three retail brands include Bealls, Goody’s and Peebles with store locations across the states of Indiana, Kentucky, Minnesota, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia.

Recent announcements that Apple will partner with IBM to release more than 100 mobile iOS applications tailored to work with IBM’s data analytics and cloud services, and that Microsoft will focus on digital work innovation in its smartphone segment, serve as reminders that mobile devices are continuing to evolve. Increasingly, mobile devices are offering features that make it easier for retailers to position advanced computational and analytical power at the point of customer contact. Here are three ways upcoming changes in the capabilities of mobile devices will affect retail.

Tiffany’s long-standing CEO Michael J. Kowalski will retire from the company March 31, 2015. Kowalski, who has been a member of the company’s board of directors since 1995, will continue to serve as non-executive chairman.

The board has tapped Frederic Cumenal, currently the company’s president, as Kowalski’s successor; he will step up to the CEO role April 1, 2015.

Kowalski joined Tiffany in 1983, became CEO in 1999 and assumed the role of chairman of the board in 2003.

London -- Natalie Berg, global research director at Planet Retail, commented:

“As a branding expert, Lewis’ first task will be to define Tesco. Philip Clarke himself has admitted that the brand has baggage. It doesn’t stand for value, yet it doesn’t stand for quality, and without a clear proposition we fear that Tesco will continue to lose customers to more relevant and better-defined channels.

Montgomery, Ala. -- With the completion of Selas Drive, Eastchase will welcome the beginning of construction for Eastchase Station, a multi-tenant shopping center, and Kobe Japanese Steakhouse and Sushi Bar.

Located at the southwest corner of Eastchase Parkway and Eastchase Lane, Kobe Japanese Steakhouse and Sushi Bar will provide over 7,300 sq. ft. of dining space on the 1.4-acre site. Construction is scheduled to begin in late 2014 and be completed in the spring of 2015.

Former CVS, Macys and Sears executive Mark Cosby has a new role at Office Depot where he will serve as president of the company’s North American business.

Norwalk, Conn. -- GE Capital announced it is providing Brookstone, the product development company and specialty retailer, with a $115 million senior credit facility. The financing will be used to support the company’s recent acquisition by Sailing Innovation (Sailing) and general working capital needs.

Stamford, Conn. -- General Electric is spinning off its Synchrony Financial consumer credit business in an initial public offering (IPO) and seeking a market valuation as high as $22 billion. Synchrony offers store credit cards for retailers such as Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and J.C. Penney Co.