KeyBank

Consumers are very excited about shopping at German discount grocer Lidl — even though they have never set foot inside one of the company's stores before.    Lidl's upcoming entry into North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia could remove $1 billion in local sales in the medium term, according to a report by global consulting firm Oliver Wyman which surveyed consumers in the three states cited above. It reveals that consumers are overwhelmingly excited about trying Lidl.   

GDA Real Estate Services has purchased an 174,353-sq.-ft. portion of the Marketplace at Delta Township Lansing, Michigan, in a deal brokered by Mid-America Real Estate Corporation. The sale price was not disclosed.   Key tenants at the acquired property include Michael’s, Petsmart, Tractor Supply, and Ulta Beauty. It is shadow-anchored by Walmart and Lowes.  

With its epic product launches, Nike’s digital channels can get unprecedented levels of interest and demand. And crashes are unacceptable.   The athletic goods giant is on pace to hit $50 billion in revenue by 2020, a goal that Nike expects to hit with the support of its digital strategy, according to Mike Wittig, VP infrastructure, Nike.   

What happens after an order is placed is crucial in driving website traffic and revenue.   

Authentic Brands Group has taken a 51% stake in Frye, one of the nation’s oldest footwear brands, with an eye to expanding its footprint.   ABG will co-own the brand in partnership with Global Brands Group Holding Limited, from whom it acquired the stake. This is the first time ABG and Global Brands, who have had a long history of collaboration, co-own a brand.   

The Wendy’s Co. is bullish on expansion.   The chain wants to add approximately 1,000 locations by 2020, reported Nation’s Restaurant News.    

Organizations are throwing away billions of dollars annually on customer loyalty programs that just don’t work like they used to.   This was revealed in the Accenture report, “Seeing Beyond the Loyalty Illusion: It’s Time You Invest More Wisely.” The study gauges the experiences and attitudes of 25,426 consumers around the world about their current loyalty relationship with brands and organizations.  

With the retail environment undergoing the most complex changes in our generation, the sustainability of the current retail economic model is in question.    Historically, retail CFO’s, as the principal financial oficers, were primarily responsible for more traditional finance, treasury, regulatory, information delivery and related functions.