Home Improvement

Ken O’Brien has been elevated to the role of SVP of merchandising at QVC reporting to Doug Howe, QVC’s, EVP of merchandising and planning.

In his new role, Obrien will be responsible for setting and executing QVC’s merchandising strategy for product brands across categories, as well as leading the engagement and management of QVC’s vendor community.
 

Industrial and construction supplies retailer Fastenal said CEO Willard Oberton planned to resign from the 2,700 store retailer effective December 31.

The company on Friday, Nov. 7 disclosed that  Oberton notified the board of directors the prior Monday of his decision to resign. Plans call for Oberton, 56, to remain as chairman of the company and to be actively involved in strategic planning and performance measurements.

Thorofare, N.J. -- Shrink—including shoplifting, employee or supplier fraud and administrative errors—cost the global retail industry more than $128 billion last year, with $42 billion lost in the United States alone, according to the latest Global Retail Theft Barometer study. This represents 1.29% of retail sales, on average.   

 

Retailers are well aware that good lighting is critical to visually rendering and calling attention to merchandise, including the role of color rendering. Light is made up of colors. For us to see an object as blue, that color must be present in the object and the light itself.

Most electric white-light sources don’t produce light with a balanced color spectrum, however. They’re manufactured with varying relative intensities of colors. This choice provides control of color appearance of the light source and how objects in the space appear.

Kalamazoo, Mich. -- Mid-America Real Estate Corporation’s Investment Sales team recently brokered the sale of Maple Hill Mall in Kalamazoo, Mich. The 283,551-sq.-ft. center was purchased from Kimco Realty Corp. by Whitehouse, Ohio-based Devonshire REIT.  

Houston -- EarthWerks flooring has added an additional position for the company. Lindsey Nisbet will join as head of product development and marketing strategy.     Nisbet will be focused on designing and developing new LVT products as well as determining the best ways to market and merchandise our line with our distribution and dealer network.  

Customers and Shop Your Way members can shop Black Friday deals at most Sears stores starting as early as 6 p.m. on Thanksgiving. Sears’ subsidiary Kmart, continuing a 23-year tradition as a destination for early-bird shopping, will open for 42 hours straight, from 6 a.m. on Thanksgiving to midnight on Black Friday.

Hoffman Estates, Ill. -- Sears Holiding Company joined the growing list of retailers with extended shopping hours on Thanksgiving and Black Friday.   Sears and Kmart stores will open on Thanksgiving Day, with Sears opening at its earliest time ever: 6 p.m, two hours earlier than last year. Kmart will open its doors for 42 hours straight, from 6 a.m. on Thanksgiving to midnight on Black Friday.