Human Resources

A new survey has revealed some more glum news about shrink in the U.S. retail industry.

Sam’s Club made some expansive personnel and strategy changes focused on merchandising on the same day that Walmart announced job cuts at its home office in Bentonville, Arkansas.

In a memo sent to Sam’s Club employees on Friday, Sam’s Club CEO Rosalind Brewer said the company “has been conducting an in-depth analysis of its business to map out a winning path for the future of Sam’s Club.”

The four key elements to the new strategy include:

Boston-based sporting goods retailer City Sports has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and plans to liquidate at least a quarter of its stores.

According to the Wall Street Journal, City Sports said it has a deal with liquidators Tiger Capital Group to hold going-out-of-business sales at eight of the company’s 26 stores, which are scattered throughout the Northeast from Massachusetts to Washington, D.C.

Staples is bucking the Black Thursday trend by making a statement, literally, about closing its stores on Thanksgiving Day in order to allow its customers, employees and their families to enjoy the holiday.

The retailer issued a statement on Thursday saying that despite being open on Thanksgiving Day the past two years, this year it says customers and employees should have the chance to stay home with family and friends. Stores will open at 6 a.m. on Black Friday.

Supervalu announced that president and CEO Sam Duncan will retire at the end of the company’s fiscal year. The company also elevated two other executives to key senior leadership roles and affirmed its commitment to exploring strategic alternatives for the Save-A-Lot retail division.

The $18 billion grocery wholesaler and retailer said Duncan would remain with the company until February 29, 2016. He joined the company in February 2013 in connection with the sale by Supervalu of five retail banners to Albertsons.

Midwest discounter Meijer tapped a former store pharmacist who worked his way up in the company as its next president.

The Grand Rapids, Michigan-based Meijer announced that Rick Keyes, who joined the company 26 years ago as a pharmacist in Columbus, Ohio, has been appointed as president. He will succeed James Kevin "J.K." Symancyk, who is leaving Meijer, effective Oct. 9, to become the CEO of Texas-based retailer Academy Sports + Outdoors.

Midwestern discounter Meijer is looking to a former store pharmacist who worked his way up in the company to take over the reins as president.

The company announced that Rick Keyes has been appointed as president of the Grand Rapids, Mich.-based retailer. Keyes, who joined the company 26 years ago as a pharmacist in Columbus, Ohio, takes the reigns of the multi-state Midwestern retailer after this week's announcement that J.K. Symancyk is leaving the company to join a Texas-based retailer.

The importance of expense control at Walmart became evident on Friday when the retailer confirmed it planned to eliminate 450 positions as part of a broader restructuring effort.