Strategy

Redmond, Wash. -- Microsoft said Wednesday that Lowe's Home Improvement is engaging its services to help improve customer service. The retailer will implement Microsoft Office 365 across more than 1,745 stores, 200,000 employees and its corporate offices in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Office 365 will help Lowe’s improve customer service by providing collaboration tools to increase communication among its stores and employees.

Woodbridge, Va. -- Island-inspired restaurateur Bahama Breeze will make its Virginia debut with a freestanding location at Potomac Mills, the largest outlet and value retail shopping destination in Virginia.

The new location will be adjacent to The Cheesecake Factory and a first-in-market Bobby’s Burger Palace opening this November in a new plaza to be developed on the south side of Potomac Mills.

Dallas -- SRS Real Estate Partners said it has named Adam Gerry as a first VP in the Orlando, Fla., office.

Before joining SRS, Gerry was VP sales and leasing for J. Wayne Miller Co., an Orlando-based principal, development and brokerage firm.
 

DALLAS — Davaco, a provider of turnkey implementation solutions for national brands, has named Tim Currier VP business development.  In this role, Currier is responsible for identifying new business opportunities and building strategic partnerships with nationwide retail, restaurant and hospitality brands. He reports to Paul Hamer, EVP business development for Davaco

Woonsocket, R.I. -- CVS Caremark has announced the appointment of Stephen Gold as chief information officer.

Gold, who joins CVS Caremark on July 9, will focus on bringing new and differentiating technology solutions to the company's retail and pharmacy benefit management businesses.

Gold joins CVS Caremark from Avaya, where he held the position of CIO. Prior to that, he served as the CIO and chief technology officer for the e-commerce solutions provider GSI Commerce.
 

Washington, D.C. -- The Conference Board, in its monthly sentiment index released on Wednesday, said that confidence among U.S. consumers dropped in June for a fourth consecutive month, reaching a five-month low.

The research firm’s sentiment index fell to 62, from a revised 64.4 in May. The slide in confidence raises the risk that the recently revealed slowdown in hiring will cause households to curb spending.

The median forecast of 69 economists surveyed by Bloomberg News projected the U.S. confidence index would fall to 63.

Carmel, Ind. -- Indianapolis-based Kite Realty Group said that Earth Fare will open a 25,000-sq.-ft. store at Rangeline Crossing, formally known as The Centre and located in Carmel, Ind.

Now under redevelopment, the 83,533-sq.-ft. Rangeline Crossing is owned by KRG Centre.

REDMOND, Wash. — Lowe's is engaging the services of Microsoft to help improve customer service. The company has agreed to implement Microsoft Office 365 across more than 1,745 stores, 200,000 employees and its corporate offices in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Office 365 will help the home improvement retailer improve customer service by providing collaboration tools to increase communication among its stores and employees.