Strategy

Stockholm, Sweden -- Ikea said Monday that its CEO Mikael Ohlsson will step down effective Sept. 1, 2013, and will be succeeded by Peter Agnefjall, current country manager of Ikea Sweden.

To prepare Agnefjall for his new role, Ikea said that he will serve as VP of the company beginning in 2013 until his September transition.

New York -- Survey results released Tuesday by WSL/Strategic Retail found that Canada represents a strong expansion opportunity for U.S. retailers.
 
The “How Canada Shops” research study revealed that 64% of Canadians can still afford to shop beyond the basics – versus half of Americans, who say they cannot.



Deerfield, Ill. -- Walgreens on Tuesday announced several new senior management roles, including an expanded role for CFO Wade Miquelon and the appointment of current senior VP and chief strategy officer Robert Zimmerman as the lead executive responsible for the Walgreens-Alliance Boots' "synergy team." Succeeding Zimmerman as chief strategy officer will be Brad Fluegel.

New York -- Tesco has opened its first all-LED store as the United Kingdom’s largest retailer continues its drive to reduce carbon emissions from its operations. Tesco expects that the use of the LEDs in its new Express location, in Loughborough, England, will produce a 30% energy savings compared to its other Express stores.  

By Dr. Gary Edwards, [email protected]

Localization is the name of the game in multi-unit retail. Large retail chains offer consistency, scale and other benefits, but if the brand fails to deliver exceptional experiences to local consumers, it’s unlikely that the retailer will gain any real traction in today’s highly competitive retail marketplace.

The folks at Echochamber.com, a London-based consultancy, have a knack for rooting out hot retail concepts around the globe. Here’s a recap of the retailers who make up their latest “Top 10 Unmissable New Stores” report:

Chicago -- A study released on Tuesday by BDO USA found that retailers are generally confident that year-end sales will top last year’s. According to the sixth-annual BDO Retail Compass Survey of CFOs, which examined the opinions of 100 leading retail CFOs nationwide, retailers are expecting a 4.5% increase in total 2012 sales.

Deerfield, Ill. -- Walgreens on Monday announced that it has completed its purchase of 144 stores operating under the USA Drug, Super D Drug, May’s Drug, Med-X and Drug Warehouse banners located in Arkansas, Kansas, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, Oklahoma and Tennessee.

The acquisition also includes corporate offices, a distribution center located in Pine Bluff, Ark., and a wholesale and private brand business, for a total of approximately $438 million subject to adjustment in certain circumstances.

Menomonee Falls, Wis. -- Kohl’s Corp. said Tuesday it plans to hire more than 52,700 associates this holiday season, about a 10% increase over last year’s holiday hiring numbers.

Kohl’s said it anticipates hiring an average of 41 associates per store, a 4% increase over 2011, as well as 5,700 seasonal DC positions and more than 30 seasonal credit operations positions.

Hiring began this month, and most jobs will be filled by mid-November, said the retailer.

Deerfield, Ill. -- Walgreens announced Tuesday several senior-management shifts intended to capitalize on its new partnership with Swiss drugstore chain Alliance Boots.

CFO Wade Miquelon is assuming an expanded and global leadership role at Walgreens as executive VP/CFO and president, international, leading a newly named Value Creation Services and International Division.