Supply Chain & Merchandising

Draw Another Circle, the parent company of Texas-based Hastings Entertainment, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, with hopes of finding a buyer for its Hastings superstores.    

Staples is hopping on board the same-day delivery train.    The chain is testing “Staples Rush,” a same-day delivery service to its online customers in major metropolitan areas across the United States. It’s offering the service initially for a fee of $14.99 per delivery, which may change while the project is in beta.  

Summer is an interesting time in the world of retail. With lazy vacation-stilted months in June and July and the comparatively bustling back-to-school energy of August, it is a season of contradictions. While, yes, the unique challenges and opportunities of summer sales patterns and scheduling are different than any other time of the year, understanding what is likely on tap for retailers this summer requires an appreciation for certain universal factors that play a role no matter what the calendar says.  

Arc’teryx Equipment, a Vancouver,Canada-based specialty retailer of high-performance outerwear and goods, is all about helping customers achieve their maximum potential.   The retailer has decided to take that same performance-driven ethos and apply it internally with help from visual analytics technology provider Qlik. Arc’teryx is using the Qlik visual analytics platform to transform its operational efficiencies and expand its global footprint.   

Amazon currently accounts for one in three shopping transactions in North America, but few details about the e-tail giant’s product assortment have not been readily available. Until now.    

Wal-Mart Stores is undertaking a series of executive changes at its international divisions, starting with a new head for its struggling United Kingdom business, Asda.
 
Andy Clarke, president and CEO of Asda, will step down on July 11, after having worked at the British company for more than 20 years. Asda has been under heavy competitive pressure and has reported seven straight quarterly sales declines.

Aéropostale has received final approval for $160 million in debtor in-possession financing provided by Crystal Financial LLC.

For the retail industry, the storefront has taken on an entirely new meaning. The brick-and-mortar store is no longer the end-all-be-all in retailing, but the hub or pivotal point for a much larger movement – omnichannel retailing. Currently, traditional retailers compete for everything from having enough shelf-space, to engaging customers and bringing them into their physical store to make the final sale.