Corporate Governance

Cabela’s shuffles merchandising team
Sidney, Neb. – Cabela’s Inc. is reorganizing its merchandising team with the transition of executive VP/chief merchandising officer Brian J. Linneman to the role of strategic advisor, effective Aug. 31. As part of this change, the company is promoting Scott K. Williams to executive VP and chief commercial officer, merchandising, along with marketing, e-commerce, real estate, and strategy.

Roger Verhulst, senior VP of merchandising, will continue to lead the merchandising teams and report directly to Williams.
Haggen to reduce store count
Bellingham, Wash. – West Coast regional grocer Haggen is scaling back some highly ambitious growth plans. Haggen, which made headlines by buying 146 divested Albertson’s and Safeway stores as an 18-unit chain in December 2014, is closing or selling a number of locations in California, Arizona, Nevada, Oregon and Washington.

Report: Bezos blasts reports of abusive Amazon culture

Seattle – Jeff Bezos, CEO and founder of Amazon.com, is reportedly blasting an article in the New York Times that accuses the retailer of having a ruthless and even abusive workplace culture. According to CNBC, in an internal memo (excerpt below), the article is inaccurate and goes beyond “isolated anecdotes.”
QVC buys struggling online retailer for $2.4 billion

Englewood, Colo. – Home shopping retailer QVC is expanding its omnichannel reach. QVC parent company Liberty Interactive Corp. is purchasing struggling online retailer Zulily Inc. for $2.4 billion in cash and stock.
Walgreens' Wasson receives lifetime achievement accolade

Former Walgreens president and CEO Greg Wasson became the chain drug industry’s first executive to receive the Grocery Manufacturers Association’s highest honor.
Cornell's revamp of Target leadership continues

CEO Brian Cornell isn't done retooling the executive leadership team at Target Corp.: The retailer now has a new COO and CFO.

Target has promoted current CFO John Mulligan to the newly created role of executive vice president and chief operating officer, effective Sept. 1. Mulligan will assume oversight of stores, supply chain and properties. Joining Target as executive vice president and chief financial officer will be Cathy Smith, a seasoned retail business leader. Both Mulligan and Smith will report to Cornell.
Amazon CEO blasts report on 'abusive' workplace

The CEO of Amazon.com is hitting back against an article in the New York Times over the weekend that accuses the retailer of having a ruthless and even abusive workplace culture.

According to CNBC, an internal memo (excerpt below) from CEO Jeff Bezos being circulated at Amazon.com calls the article inaccurate and beyond “isolated anecdotes.” Bezos also made the rounds on newspaper websites and on cable TV lambasting the Times article as "not the Amazon" he knows.
QVC adds some hipster cred with acquisition

QVC just gained some credibility among hipsters and millennials by buying a popular Internet flash sale site that caters to those younger shoppers.
Grants help kids cross the Finish Line

Athletic wear retailer the Finish Line is investing in the health, well-being and special needs of children with thousands of dollars in grants.

The Finish Line Youth Foundation is awarding $77,258 in grants to help organizations that focus on healthy lifestyles, youth development and special needs.
Head merchant at Cabela's is stepping aside

Sporting goods retailer Cabela’s is making some changes in its executive leadership.

The company announced that Brian J. Linneman, EVP and CMO, will transition from his current position and become a strategic adviser to the company.
On Call Scheduling: The Beginning of the End?

Retail consulting firm McMillanDoolittle, Chicago, weighs in on its blog with three reasons why any retailer using the practice of “on-call” labor scheduling should end it immediately.
Party City not letting weak quarter derail store expansion

New York -- Party City isn’t celebrating its second quarter. But it remains on track to open 30 new stores for 2015 and complete 50-60 remodels and relocations.

The party supply retailer reported a loss for its second quarter traffic amid light traffic. But it as the retailer reported a loss.

In the second quarter ended June 30, Party posted a loss of $23 million, or 20 cents a share, compared with a profit of $2.5 million a year earlier