Corporate Governance

Minneapolis –- Hair salon chain Regis Corp. and specialty footwear retailer Red Wing Shoes both recently engaged Insight Inc. to refresh their store systems.

 

Regis rolled out the Insight Retail Ready program to refresh its network infrastructure, server, wireless and points of sale in more than 2,000 U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico SmartStyle salons located in Wal-Mart stores. 

By Nick Hidalgo, Redner’s Markets Inc.    The evolution of POS systems and other in-store innovations, such as self-service checkout and mobile payments, are changing how grocers serve their customers. While these solutions introduce convenience, they often result in a greater number of in-store devices and systems, as well as an increasingly complex computing network.  

Retailers are in for a “humbug holiday” with a 3.4% overall increase in sales and a deceleration in e-commerce growth, according to a new forecast from retail industry consulting and research firm Customer Growth Partners.

Technological advancements and shifting shopper expectations have prompted Meijer and GE Lighting to embark on a major merchandising and first-of-its-kind education initiative.

As incandescent bulbs continue to disappear, the retailer and its largest light bulb supplier are creating a new shopping experience which will help shoppers navigate the many new options available as they prepare for the longer winter nights.

The Bill Blass brand is in for a breath of fresh air with the arrival of celebrated designer Chris Benz as new creative director.

Reporting directly to Stuart Goldblatt,  Bill Blass’ newly appointed president and CEO,  Benz will be responsible for the overall creative direction of the company.

Benz brings to Bill Blass years of experience in the fashion industry, including designing for Mark Jacobs and J.Crew, as well as his own collection CHRIS BENZ, launched in 2007.

Burlington has partnered with K.I.D.S./Fashion Delivers and ABC’s Good Morning America for its eighth annual Warm Coat Warm Hearts coat drive, themed around “Families Helping Families.” 

The coat drive, which kicks off on Saturday, November 1, 2014, will benefit K.I.D.S./Fashion Delivers, a national non-profit organization dedicated to providing apparel and other products donated by manufacturers and retailers to community charities across the U.S. and throughout the world. 

Walmart’s Japanese subsidiary Seiyu plans to close 30 stores and remodel 50 others next year in an effort to strengthen its every day low price strategy.

Specialty retailer Tile Shop announced a senior leadership transition involving long time CEO Robert Rucker and current COO Chris Homeister.

The company said Homeister, a former Best Buy merchant who joined Minneapolis-based Tile Shop a year ago, would be elevated to the role of CEO effective Jan. 1. He replaces current CEO Robert Rucker who founded the company 29 years ago. Rucker will remain with the company on a full time basis until Aug. 1, 2015 as an advisor and board member.

Veteran Walmart store planner Jay Mitchael is a featured speaker at an upcoming event organized by Doing Business in Bentonville.

Mitchael, vp of store layout and space productivity at Walmart, is scheduled to speak Thursday, Nov. 13 at the Doing Business in Bentonville event which runs from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. in Rogers, Ark. Among the topics the organization said he will address are changes in store design, current prototype rollout and something called the space capture project.

Bridgestone Americas announced that TJ Higgins has been named president of the consumer U.S. and Canada divisions for the company's tire operations, effective Nov. 3. Higgins succeeds Gordon Knapp, who became COO of Bridgestone Americas in March. 

Higgins brings more than 20 years of consumer products marketing and strategic business experience to Bridgestone. He most recently served as the North America regional president for Pfizer Consumer Healthcare and also held leadership roles at Merck and Vlasic throughout his career.