Sales & Marketing

Somerset, England – British fashion retailer Mulberry operates vertically, selling its own products through a chain of 110 stores. Needing to support this endeavor through improved customer service levels, higher operational efficiency and a more responsive supply chain, in first quarter 2013 Mulberry selected JDA demand and fulfillment solutions, which the retailer will deploy though the JDA cloud services offering.

Arby's identifies more than $5.5 million in potential savings for energy program

Arby's Restaurant Group has taken an aggressive stance with regard to its third largest and most controllable expense: energy. Faced with rising costs, the chain developed a strategic energy management plan that identified more than $5.5 million in potential annual savings.

Philadelphia -- Madewell, a J. Crew concept, has signed its first lease in Center City Philadelphia, according to broker Fameco Real Estate. The 4,000 sq.-ft. store will be located near Rittenhouse Square. Neighboring retailers include Intermixx, Burberry, Athleta and Blue Mercury. Fameco and Open Realty Advisors both represented Madewell in the transaction.

Both brokers are also representing searching for a 2,500-sq.-ft. location for J. Crew Men on Walnut Street in Philadelphia.

New York -- The Lam Group has chosen Newmark Grubb Knight Frank (NGKF) Retail and Hospitality Services to lease the 100,000-sq.-ft. retail portion of a mixed-use project in the NoMad neighborhood of New York City.

The 400,000-sq.-ft. project includes two 300-room hotels with meeting spaces, wellness facilities, multiple food and beverage outlets and retail space.

OMAHA, Neb. — Oriental Trading Company, a direct retailer of value-priced party supplies, arts and crafts, toys, novelties and school supplies owned by Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway, has acquired brainy toy manufacturer MindWare Holdings.

MindWare is a manufacturer, wholesaler and direct retailer of what it describes as “brainy toys for kids of all ages,” based in Minneapolis, Minn. Oriental Trading Company is headquartered in Omaha, Neb. 

Columbus, Ohio - The Affiliated Business Group (ABG), a division of DSW Inc., will exclusively supply the footwear departments of all U.S. Loehmann’s stores and the loehmanns.com e-commerce site. The initial rollout of the news arrangement is expected to commence in a few stores starting December, 013 with the balance of the chain and e-commerce launching in the first quarter of 2014. ABG will plan, procure, and deliver the entire women's and men's footwear inventory, while Loehmann’s will provide staffing for the shoe departments.

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Sports Authority has appointed Michael Foss as the company’s new CEO, following Darrell Webb’s announcement that he is retiring as CEO and chairman of the board. 

Workforce management tools can help with compliance, control costs

As an industry with one of the largest populations of part-time workers, retail stands to be hit the hardest by the changes required by the Affordable Care Act. Yet as retailers start planning, many of them simply don't know how to comply, and what the long-term effects will be. Unfortunately, there is no "one-size-fits-all" solution, and employers will have to carefully select a strategy that is right for them.