Supply Chain & Merchandising

Shares of Party City enjoyed a nice first-day pop on April 16 after the company completed its initial public stock offering.

A total of 21,875,000 shares were priced at $17 in the offering and began trading at $20.15. By the end of the first day’s trading, shares had advanced $3.70 to close up 21.8% at $20.70. The company’s ticker symbol is PRTY.

Deerfield, Ill. - Walgreens Boots Alliance is ahead of schedule in its synergy efforts since Walgreens and Boots officially merged in December 2014. At its 2015 Analyst Day in New York City, the retailer’s leadership team outlined plans to support the customer experience in its Retail Pharmacy USA division with investments in key operational efficiencies such as IT systems, modernizing pharmacies and investing in customer care.

New York - Saks Fifth Avenue has named Tracy Margolies as chief merchant, effective May 11, 2015. Margolies will drive the strategic direction and performance of all buying activities for Saks, and will report to Marc Metrick, president of Saks Fifth Avenue.

Margolies rejoins Saks Fifth Avenue after serving as senior VP and general merchandise manager, beauty, contemporary 5F, footwear and handbags at Bergdorf Goodman. Previously, Margolies spent seven years at Saks as VP, division merchandise manager, women's footwear.

Former Walmart CEO and current board member Mike Duke is the newest operating executive at the Carlyle Group, which suggests the pace of deal-making activity in the retail and consumer packaged goods world could be about to heat up.

Cleveland – Increased gross profit resulting from a slowing pace in the cost of goods sold helped boost net income at The Sherwin-Williams Co. during the first quarter of fiscal 2015. Net income totaled $131.4 million, up 14% from $115.46 million the same quarter a year earlier.

Net sales grew 3% to $2.45 billion from $2.37 billion, due primarily to higher paint sales volume in the retailer’s Paint Stores and Consumer groups.

A record number of openings in 2014 pushed 99 Cents Only close to the 400 unit mark, but the rapid pace of expansion did not translate to profitability during what the company called a transformative year.

Canton, Mass. – Dunkin’ Donuts has signed a multi-unit store development agreement with new franchise group Legacy Concepts LLC to develop 10 new restaurants in Minneapolis and the surrounding areas of Bloomington, Edina, Eden Prairie and the communities west of the metro area. The first restaurant is planned to open by the end of 2015.

Tracy Margolies has returned to Saks Fifth Avenue to leading the department store retailer’s merchandising efforts.

Margolies is no stranger to the Saks organization or upscale department store retailing. She spent the past two and a half years as a senior vice president and general merchandise manager at Bergdorf Goodman.