Human Resources

Waldorf, Germany – Retailers see a need for functional competencies leaning toward technology and data skills, even more than general business and people management. But a new survey of 76 retail managers from top retailers conducted by SAP during the recent SAP Retail Forum North America in Dallas, Texas revealed that 84% of retailers are worried that it will be challenging to find employees with these skills.

Fortune Brands Home & Security, a leading home and security products company, has named Jason Baab as VP of mergers and acquisitions. His role will support the company’s growth strategy that includes expanding its portfolio.

The company also promoted Elif Sagsen-Ercel to VP of strategy. Baab and Sagsen-Ercel will report to Chuck Elias who was elected by FBHS earlier this year as SVP of strategy and corporate development.

New York -- Looking ahead, there is a sense of pessimism on the economy in the next few months among U.S. consumers. In September 2013, Harris Poll results showed that almost half of U.S. adults (46%) said, in the coming year, that they expect the economy to stay the same, while less than one-quarter (22%) expected it to improve and one-third (32%) expected it to get worse.

Mississauga, Ont. – Target Canada has announced the opening dates for 33 additional Canadian store locations spanning across nine provinces, including its first stores in New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland.

Thirty-one store locations are scheduled to open on Nov. 13, and the remaining two locations will open on Nov. 22, completing Target's Canadian store openings for 2013.

ChannelNet, a customer acquisition, retention and conquest digital services provider, has appointed Molly Smith as VP of customer support and services.

Davenport, Iowa -- Von Maur Department Stores has opened its first location in the Northeast. The Midwest retailer opened a 140,000-sq.-ft. store at Eastview Mall in Victor, N.Y., which is just outside of Rochester.

Salt Lake City -- Consumers value salesperson expertise above all else, but they often find such expertise lacking, according to eXperticity’s first-ever Retail Buying Experience survey. The study found a striking expertise gap among sales associates in five retail areas: outdoor, sporting goods, hunting or fishing, health and nutrition, and prestige beauty.

 When asked to rate which services consumers most desire and value from retail sales associates, the top four were:

1. Product knowledge (73%);