Corporate Governance

Popular CBS reality show “Undercover Boss” will kick off its upcoming season with back-to-back one-hour episodes on Dec. 21 featuring two CEOs of national retailers.   The show’s first hour will feature Sharon Price John, president and CEO of Build-A-Bear Workshop, who will learn how building bears and other furry animals isn't all fun and games. For a video preview, click here.  

The pressure is on for retailers to not only meet customer expectations, but to exceed them as differentiation in the retail industry becomes paramount. Amazon has raised the bar for expectations with offers such as same-day delivery and free shipping, as well as spread its influence to become one of the world’s biggest retailers.  

Rent-A-Center has appointed Lety Nettles to fill the newly created position of VP of digital integration.   Most recently she served as a technology executive designing integration framework and change practices for Walmart.      

With most of the business community absorbed in the quadrennial D.C. parlor game of parsing cabinet picks and what they might mean for their industry's agenda going forward, little attention has been paid to what lies ahead for the labor community.  

To inject new life into its struggling chain, Sears Canada is hopes its newest venture will lure in shoppers — especially foodies.   A new partnership with two specialty supermarket operators is enabling Sears Canada to run high-end markets at dedicated locations. The chain is banking on grocery shoppers’ frequent store visits to bolster store visits, Canadian Grocer reported.  

The new year will bring a new finance chief to Tailored Brands.  

Amazon Prime Video just made a massive move expanding its global reach.   The pure play’s video streaming service is now available in 200 countries, including The United States, the United Kingdom, Germany Austria, France, Canada, Japan, and other major markets, including India — a move that allows it go toe-to-toe with its biggest streaming competitor, Netflix.   

Love’s Travel Stops is known for its fresh restaurant offerings, so ensuring food quality throughout the supply chain is paramount.   By adding a food temperature monitoring and task logging system from Digi International, the convenience store chain is simplifying employee tasks, and ensuring public health compliance.