Retail

Bentonville, Ark. -- Wal-Mart Stores has appointed Kevin Systrom, CEO and co-founder of photo-sharing service Instagram, as a new member of the company’s board, effective Sept. 26. Systrom will also serve as a member of the retailer’s technology and e-commerce committee and its compensation, nominating and governance committee (CNGC).

Coty CEO Michele Scannavini has stepped down from his role at the company for personal reasons and resigned from Coty's board.

Coty's chairman, Bart Becht, will become interim CEO, working with Coty's executive committee to ensure a smooth transition and oversee major decisions at the company. The company plans to immediately begin its search for Scannavini's permanent successor. Becht will remain as chairman of the company once a permanent successor has been appointed.

By Greg Smith, president & CEO of Accudata Technologies

The holiday season is right around the corner, and you know what that means — shopping, upon shopping, upon shopping! This is a great time for any e-retail business, but are you ready?

HoneyBaked is wasting no time in preparing for the holiday season by adding more than 10,000 part-time employees to its current workforce — a 600% total increase in its workforce across 400 stores nationwide.

Atlanta - Manhattan Associates Inc. is releasing a new capability within its omnichannel Order Management application. Known as Available to Commerce (ATC), this capability gives retailers the power to offer specific units of inventory available for sale in the most appropriate channel (online, store, same-day delivery, etc.) and then optimize how the order is fulfilled, all based on a variety of strategic planning and daily operational variables.

Dublin, Calif. - Ross Dress for Less will open a new store in Hawthorne, California, in Los Angeles County, on Oct. 11. The store is located in the Hawthorne Town Plaza.

This new opening is part of the retailer’s 2014 expansion program, totaling approximately 75 new locations during the year.

Newport Beach, Calif. – Investment real estate services firm Lucescu Realty has sold three retail shopping centers in Utah for $225.6 million. The properties included The Family Center at Fort Union in Midvale, Utah; The Family Center at Taylorsville in Taylorsville, Utah; and The Family Center at Orem in Orem, Utah.