Strategy

More than a dozen of Walmart’s top merchants are in new roles following a realignment of responsibilities that chief merchandising and marketing officer Duncan Mac Naughton said is designed to recognize customers’ needs and serve them more efficiently.
 

Rebates for lighting upgrades are alive and well, with rebate organizations having updated their rebate and incentive programs for 2014. Currently, 71% of the country is covered by an active commercial lighting rebate, according to BriteSwitch, Princeton, New Jersey, which helps large national companies take advantage of rebate and incentive programs that exist across the United States and Canada.

Here is a review of major rebate trends from BriteSwitch: 

▲ Customer experience: Poorly maintained stores cost sales and dilute the brand and customer experience. Not giving facilities the funding required to keep stores clean and in good condition will impact the bottom line in that customers will shop elsewhere. Today, more than ever, shoppers have high expectations regarding the look and feel of a store, and they also have many more options from which to choose.

ValueVision Media, a multichannel electronic retailer operating as ShopHQ via TV, Internet and mobile, has named Mark Bozek as CEO. It has also reconstituted its board of directors and appointed Bob Rosenblatt as its non-executive chairman.

Bozek succeeds Keith Stewart, who has resigned as CEO and as a director of the company. Bozek has more than 20 years of senior executive experience in the multichannel commerce, electronic retailing and entertainment industries, including having served as CEO of HSN, SVP of QVC and as a producer at Fox Television.

Macy’s has added Annie Young-Scrivner, EVP of Starbucks Coffee Company and president of its Teavana business, to its board of directors.

If the retail industry needed a catalyst for change, one that nearly mandates more efficient and sustainable packaging practices, FedEx recently provided the blowtorch to ignite it.

Philadelphia — Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust has completed the previously announced sale of South Mall in Allentown, Pennsylvania, for $23.6 million. Net of closing costs, settlement pro-rations and credits, proceeds from the transaction totaled approximately $23.1 million.

In addition, PREIT has entered into an Agreement of Sale to dispose of its two remaining non-core malls — Nittany Mall and North Hanover Mall.

Fernando Madeira will succeed Joel Anderson as president and CEO of Walmart.com to help the retailer further a growth strategy focused on winning at the integration of physical and digital. Anderson left to become president of fast-growing teen and pre-teen retailer Five Below.