Corporate Governance

Customer experience remains at the hub of all retail strategies, including technical strategy. Whether it’s global inventory availability, mobile payment or loyalty apps, e-commerce and call center integration, or ubiquitous points-of-sale, infrastructure that uses all assets while integrating suppliers and consumers continues to define a retailer’s network design. Further, in highly competitive retail segments, managing the costs of digital fluidity is not only vital to capturing profitable share; it can also distinguish competitive advantage. 

It’s the pizza chain on the rise in the U.S. and in Houston, too, apparently.   MOD Pizza will open 11 new locations in H-town this year, bringing its total in the metro to 15, according to Transwestern, which served as the leasing agent. The fast-casual chain is well on its way to 200 locations, with for 50 new shops in 2016.   MOD Pizza’s $65 million in sales represented a 21% increase in 2015, making it the fastest-growing new food chain in the U.S., according to Nation’s Restaurant News.

Target Corp. is taking action to put an end to the controversy that erupted in the wake of its transgender bathroom decision.    The retailer will spend $20 million to ensure that each of its stores have a single-occupancy, unisex bathroom by next year, MarketWatch reported.  

The big get bigger.   The Home Depot reported record sales and net income as it revised upward its expectations for the full year.   The world’s largest home improvement retailer Tuesday morning posted second quarter sales of $26.5 billion, up 6.6% from the second quarter a year ago. Comparable store sales were up 4.7%, and up 5.4% in the U.S.   Net earnings were $2.4 billion, up from $2.2 billion.  

Dick’s Sporting Goods on Tuesday hit a home run, posting second quarter results that surpassed analysts’ expectations and lifting its earnings forecast for the year.   Dick's reported net income of $91.4 million for the quarter ended July 30, up from $90.8 million in the year-ago period.   Net sales increased 7.9% to $1.97 billion. Online penetration for the second quarter was 8.5% of total net sales, compared to 7.3% last year. Same-store sales increased 2.8%.   

Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. is reportedly nearing a deal that would increase the ongoing consolidation in the convenience-store industry.   The Canadian convenience-store giant is in the lead to acquire CST Brands Inc., the Wall Street Journal reported.   CST, based in San Antonio, Texas, is a fuel and convenience-store chain with more than 1,000 stores in the southwestern U.S., New York and eastern Canada.   

That didn’t take very long.    Barnes & Noble on Tuesday announced the abrupt departure of CEO Ronald D. Boire, who has held the position for just under a year.    In a short and bluntly-worded statement, the book-seller announced that its board had determined that Boire “was not a good fit for the organization and that it was in the best interests of all parties for him to leave the company.”      

There was no stopping TJX Cos. in its second quarter. But it sounded a cautious note about its third quarter.   For the quarter ended July 30, TJX posted a profit of $562.2 million, better than analysts’ forecasts, up from $549.3 million in the year-ago period.   Revenue increased 7% to a better-than-expected $7.88 billion. Same-store sales rose 4%, above expectations for an increase of 2% to 3%.