Walmart

Move over Alibaba — Amazon has a new jobs plan too, one with more details and a more immediate window of opportunity.   

Wal-Mart Stores is reportedly losing its top technology executive.    Karenann Terrell will step down as CIO of Wal-Mart on February 24, the Wall Street Journal reported. Terrell has served in the position for nearly five years.     The retailer, which did not say where Terrell is headed, expects to announce new leadership in technology “shortly,” according to the report.      

Chain Store Age presents its third annual “Top 10 Women in Retail Technology ” report, which showcases the achievements of an influential group of technology executives. The professionals in the class of the 2017 — profiled below in no particular order — exemplify the innovation and leadership needed to suceed in today’s fast-changing retail environment. They share a record of success that is worthy of emulation by all their peers.

Wal-Mart Stores is reportedly planning a major round of job layoffs by the end of this month.   The retailer will eliminate positions at its headquarters and among regional personnel that support stores, the Wall Street Journal reported.  

As the retail industry settles into 2017, CIOs industry-wide are dusting off their To-Do lists, and creating a game-plan on how to implement this year’s top priorities.   While these projects will run the gamut, retail is facing an inflection point — one that is influenced by new, “smarter” solutions that will not only change the trajectory of how businesses operate, but how chains will communicate with employees and customers.   

A six-month battle between Walmart Canada and Visa has come to an end.   The retailer, which threatened to ban the card processor from all of its stores nationwide due to “unacceptably high” credit-card transaction fees, has ended its feud, and will resume accepting Visa cards at its more than 400 stores starting Friday, Jan. 6.  

The ranks of female retail CEOs is losing one of its highest-profile members.   Rosalind G. Brewer, 54, has told Walmart she plans to retire as executive VP, president and CEO of Sam’s Club, effective Feb. 1, 2017. She will be succeeded by company veteran John Furner, 42, who joined Walmart as an hourly associate in 1993, effective Feb. 1. The news was announced in a filing by the chain.  

Dollar Tree has appointed Duncan Mac Naughton as president and COO of its Family Dollar subsidiary.   Mac Naughton, 54, most recently served as CEO of Mills Fleet Farm. He has held numerous leadership roles at Wal-Mart Stores, including chief merchandising and marketing officer of Wal-Mart U.S. from 2011 to 2014, executive VP of consumables health and wellness and Walmart.com from 2010 to 2011, and chief merchandising officer of Wal-Mart Canada from 2009 to 2010.  

As a result of the labor community’s failure to produce critical outcomes it pursued for the presidency, Congress and governorships, unions will be forced to abandon much of the political and legislative agenda they had developed in hopes of a friendly Clinton administration.

As Amazon expands across the globe, enhancing its logistics capabilities as well as adding to the list of perks for its Amazon Prime members, retailers and logistics providers are taking note.

The pressure is on for retailers to not only meet customer expectations, but to also 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, and its influence is spreading as it becomes one of the world’s biggest retailers.