Strategy

Mississauga, Canada - Federal Express Canada Ltd. has reached an agreement with Home Hardware Stores Ltd. that allows individual dealer-owners the ability to house full-service FedEx Authorized ShipCenters within their stores. The FedEx Authorized ShipCenters will be rolled out across Canada in a series of implementation waves throughout the year.

Even before Meb Keflezighi won the Boston Marathon wearing a pair of Skechers, a brand not normally associated with running, the footwear company was winning big in the marketplace.

Waban, Mass. - The percentage of large organizations that have reached the two highest levels of customer experience maturity has grown from 6% in 2013 to 10% this year. During the same period, the percentage of companies in the lowest level of maturity has dropped from 40% to 31%, according to a new report from Temkin Group, “The State of Customer Experience Management 2014.”

Other findings include:

Dublin, Ireland – Discount fast-fashion retailer Primark, the Dublin-based subsidiary of U.K. retail and consumer group Associated British Foods, plans to enter the United States, opening a location in Boston. The 70,000-sq.-ft. store will open at the end of 2015 and be on the site of the former Filene's department store in the city’s downtown area.

Thousand Oaks, Calif. — A 36,000-sq.-ft. Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market has opened at Thousand Oaks Marketplace in Thousand Oaks, Calif.

Other Marketplace retailers include Chase Bank, Walgreens and Hampton Inn, with Subway and Great Clips slated to open soon. The center serves a daytime population of 75,498.

Lost Angeles — CBRE Group has announced that John Ferguson has been promoted to president, southeast region.

Ferguson has led CBRE’s southeast region since January 2011. His elevation to the title of president reflects outstanding performance across a broad range of leadership activities including new business development, business and sales management, market and industry leadership, client relationships and people management, said CBRE in a statement.

As retail executives, our people come first: finding, training, mentoring, helping them grow to get to the next level and realize a fulfilling career in an industry we love. Our people are absolutely crucial to delivering on customer expectations. And, as we all know, those expectations only continue to rise.

Cincinnati -- The Kroger Co. said that its Fry's Marketplace store in Phoenix marks the 500th Kroger location to earn the Energy Star designation from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Department of Energy.