Strategy

Cincinnati -- Kroger Co. on Wednesday said it plans to withdraw from two multi-employer pension funds and will incur a charge of $56 million in the first quarter as it contributes that amount to restructure its pension obligations. The move is in line with the retailer’s desire to exert more control over employee-retirement programs.

Francesca’s has tapped David Minnix Jr. as the new VP and head of boutiques. The former chief stores officer at Dots Fashion will start his job overseeing the upscale boutique chain’s operations on July 8.

Minnix has also formerly worked for retailers like Zales and Pearle Vision, and at Dots Fashion oversaw store support and loss prevention departments, among other duties. At Francesca’s Minnix will oversee the company’s 519 boutiques, each of which is meant to feel like an independent shop.

Houston -- Francesca's Holdings Corp. announced the appointment of R. David Minnix, Jr., as senior VP and head of boutiques, effective  July 8.  

The coming months will see the name “At Home” popping up on 71 Garden Ridge stores in 21 states as the home décor store undergoes a significant rebranding and remerchandising initiative.

By Girish Pai, AVP, Group Manager, Retail, CPG and Logistics for Infosys


Ali Baba is a literary character from the Arabian Nights stories known for his ability to get virtually anything he wants by shouting “Open Sesame!”

The Mayday button customer service feature Amazon introduced on its Kindle Fire HDX product last fall boasts an average response time of less than 10 seconds, roughly the time it takes other organizations’ automatic voice response system to say, “your call is very important to us….”

Plano, Texas -- Garden Ridge announced that it is investing $20 million to rebrand all of its stores to the At Home brand.

"Our new name, At Home, better reflects our company's home décor heritage, as well as our aspirations for the future. By aligning our in-store transformation and merchandise offerings, the new brand best positions us to succeed as we move forward with our expansion strategy," said CEO Lee Bird.