Supply Chain & Merchandising

Starboard Value, the investment firm driving change at Staples, pushed the retailer to merge with Office Depot and now has achieved another of its goals with the addition of a new board member.

Lowe's outlined its progress in meeting its sustainability objectives in its 2014 Social Responsibility Report.

Hoffman Estates, Ill. – In its latest move to capitalize on the value of its real estate and raise more cash, Sears Holdings Corp. has formed a joint venture with Simon Property Group whereby Simon will take ownership of 10 Sears stores in Simon malls and lease them back to Sears, who will continue operating Sears stores in the venture. The stores include properties Sears has leased to other entities.

Duluth, Ga. -- NCR Corporation announced that the Army and Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES) will replace 6,000 point-of-sale terminals with NCR RealPOS 72XRT systems. The new technology will replace non-NCR terminals in both its retail and food services locations, and will be maintained globally by NCR Services.

The Exchange provides quality goods and service at comparatively low prices to American armed forces families. It operates more than 3,100 facilities worldwide, in more than 30 countries, five U.S. territories and 50 states.

Specialty retailer the Children’s Place has rejected an alternate slate of directors proposed by a firm agitating for change after it acquired roughly 2% of the retailer’s outstanding shares.

Former Safeway and Supervalu executive Anne Dament has been named senior vice president of merchandising at Target to lead what the company is calling the strategic repositioning of its food business.

CNBC host and investment advisor Jim Cramer breaks down the impact of cheap oil and the labor outlook with a view toward which retailers are best positioned to win.

A recent feature on the Thestreet.com featured 18 of Cramer’s top picks in the retail world, including many familiar names which have already enjoyed a nice run and are trading at or near their 52 week high.

By Christoph Stehmann, Pitney Bowes

According to the U.S. Commerce Department, retail e-commerce sales totaled over $304 billion in 2014, up 15.4% from the prior year. Also, eMarketer predicts that U.S. retail e-commerce sales will total approximately $350 billion in 2015.

The growth in e-commerce sales represents a huge opportunity for U.S. retailers. However, to be successful, retailers need to make sure they have the right shipping strategies and solutions in place to encourage shoppers to purchase goods online.