Strategy

New York -- As technology transforms multichannel retail into hyper-channel, “always-on” retailing, chains must emotionally connect with consumers as never before, according to Joseph Bona. Bona, president of branded environments for New York City-based brand agency/retail design firm CBX, is one of the featured speakers at Chain Store Age’s upcoming 50th annual SPECS conference,  March 9 -12, Grapevine, Texas.

There is no place in today’s hyper-competitive retail marketplace for a poorly maintained store — providing a clean, comfortable and safe shopping environment is a priority for chains across the board. As retailers increasingly focus on their core competencies, they are letting experts take care of functions and services that fall outside those areas, including facilities maintenance.

Atlanta – Accellos is releasing AccellosOne Warehouse Management System (WMS) version 6.5, which is built on Accellos’ unifying technology platform, the AccellosOne Platform version 3.0. This cloud-ready WMS features an all-new configuration mechanism that leverages Microsoft’s Workflow Foundation, enabling partners and customers to analyze and modify business processes without writing code or using proprietary scripting languages.

Improving shopper insights in omnichannel retailing is the top ranked priority for retailers who fear other operators may be doing a better job than they are. That is one of the key findings in a new research report from industry leader EKN that shows retailers still have a long way to go when it comes to leveraging the power of analytics.
 

Men's Wearhouse and Jos. A. Bank may be inching closer to a deal. Men’s Wearhouse announced that it had reached a nondisclosure agreement with its rival, setting up talks that could lead to a merger of the two retailers.

The two firms announced they are exchanging certain confidential information with each other and working in good faith to evaluate a potential combination.

As part of the agreement, Jos. A. Bank submitted a draft of a merger agreement to Men’s Wearhouse.

New York -- The Jones Group Inc. has scheduled a special meeting of The Jones Group shareholders for April 7, 2014 to consider and vote upon the previously announced merger agreement entered into with Sycamore Partners on Dec. 19, 2013. Under the agreement, affiliates of Sycamore Partners will acquire The Jones Group for $15 per share in cash, or about $1.2 billion.

San Francisco – Gap Inc. reportedly plans a substantial increase in its Gap and Old Navy store count in China during the next several years. Reuters reports that Gap plans to add 30 stores to its existing 81 Chinese locations.

As Kimberly-Clark continues to focus on driving global expansion, the company has made executive changes so it can execute its business goals.

Elane Stock, group president of Kimberly-Clark Professional (KCP), has been elected group president of K-C International (KCI), and is succeeding Christian Brickman, who is leaving to pursue a senior executive officer position outside of K-C. Kim Underhill, currently president of K-C's European consumer business, has been elected president of KCP.