Sales & Marketing

Hudson’s Bay Co.’s newest executive is joining the company just in time to lead the European division’s next phase of development.   Dr. Wolfgang Link will become CEO of HBC Europe, effective May 1. He will lead the expansion and growth strategy for the department store’s European business, including Galeria Kaufhof, Galeria Inno, and the entrance of Hudson’s Bay and Saks OFF 5TH. Reporting to HBC’s CEO Jerry Storch, Dr. Link will also oversee the European management team.  

Coach Inc. has tapped a 26-year fashion veteran to lead the company as its expands its brand portfolio.   Joshua Schulman has been named president and CEO of the Coach brand, effective June 5. In this newly created role, Schulman will be responsible for all aspects of the brand globally, reporting directly to Victor Luis, CEO of Coach, Inc. This new leadership structure follows the 2015 acquisition of Stuart Weitzman, and is an important step in Coach, Inc.’s evolution as a customer-focused, multi-brand organization, the retailer said.

After three quarters of missing analyst estimates, Bed Bath & Beyond’s fourth quarter ended on a high note, and beat expectations.

  When it comes for help in stores, shoppers are increasingly going mobile.   That is one of the findings of a survey by Salsify, a product content management platform for distributed commerce, which revaled that 77%  of shoppers use a mobile device while shopping in store.  This compares to just 35%  of shoppers who opt to speak to a salesperson if they have questions about a product.  

Online shoppers are demanding more flexibility and control in their delivery experiences — and Newegg is responding.   The electronics e-retailer now enables its Canadian shoppers to ship purchases to more than 6,000 Canada Post retail post offices. Newegg created the program through a partnership with air freight shipping company Purolator International and Canada Post.   

Payless ShoeSource filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection amid growing competition from off-price retailers and online.

The retailer, which has some  4,400 locations in more than 30 countries, plans to immediately close nearly 400 stores in the United States and Puerto Rico as it attempts to boost its balance sheet and restructure its debt load.

The  retail community has had a curious relationship with the Ivanka Trump brand over the last year or two. Some prominent brands proudly display her clothing, shoe and accessories lines. Others carry it, but really don’t highlight it too much, and some have decided  to drop it all together.   

The key to delivering top-notch customer service — and responding to changes in the shopping experience — is to give associates visibility into information.