Supply Chain & Merchandising

Retail has reached a tipping point. Omnichannel shopping is no longer the “new thing” — it is THE THING. Demographics and technology have permanently altered consumer behavior, and retailers have felt the impact in an unprecedented manner.   In today’s environment, proactive management of the store portfolio is not an option—companies must actively pursue a forward-looking, dynamic, and data-centric approach to design the optimal store portfolio to ensure ongoing viability.  

Office Depot is launching a same-day delivery program in three markets.   The service, powered by Deliv, will be available on August 28 in Atlanta and Los Angeles, and on September 6 in Ft. Lauderdale/Miami. It is expected to be rolled out in several additional markets by the end of December.  

American Apparel’s website has been hinting about a summer relaunch for some time — now its parent company is making good its promise.   Gildan Activewear, which purchased the specialty retailer at a bankruptcy auction earlier this year, is preparing to relaunch the brand’s e-commerce website, according to Bloomberg. However, this is only the first project on its list of retail plans.  

Despite retailers’ efforts to deliver sophisticated shopping experiences, crucial gaps between digital and in-store touchpoints still exist.   That's according to “The State of Omnichannel Commerce: A Mystery Shopping Study.” The report, from Kibo, assessed the personalization and omnichannel sophistication across 30 popular and growing retailers’ desktop, mobile and in-store buying touchpoints.   

Gap's local franchisee in Australia is ending its four-year relationship with the specialty retailer.

The financially struggling OrotonGroup is expected to close its six Gap stores by the end of January as it looks to focus on its core Oroton handbag business and limit related future losses.  In June, Oroton, which operates 70 stores and is best known for its luxury handbags, announced it was exploring options, which could include a sale of its business.

Someone forgot to tell At Home that big-box stores are passé.    Since Lee Bird took the reins as chief executive at the beginning of 2013, the Plano, Texas-based home decor superstore retailer has been on a steep upward trajectory — and it shows no signs of losing momentum anytime soon.   

Dick's Sporting Goods will be busy in August, opening five stores in three different states.   The nation's largest sporting goods retailer will open two namesake stores and three Field & Stream stores in the first half of August. In Prosper, Texas, Dick's and Field & Stream will open under one roof at the Gates of Prosper. And in Houston, Dick's will open at Post Oak Shopping Center.   

FedEx is giving its customers an early holiday gift — while taking a stab at its rival UPS.   The delivery service announced that it will forego additional surcharges on deliveries this holiday season — unless packages require additional handling, are oversized or unauthorized. FedEx made the decision based on the growing volume of large packages moving through the FedEx Ground network during the holidays.