Supply Chain & Merchandising

As the Pacific Maritime Association prepares to shut down U.S. West Coast ports from Feb. 13-16, the National Retail Federation (NRF) is issuing a public statement asking for direct White House intervention.

Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores has named a new chief executive after announcing the search for a new leader in August.

The company announced the appointment of Jill Soltau as president, chief executive officer and a member of the board of directors of the company, effective March 2. Jim Kerr, who served as interim CEO, will continue as EVP and CFO of the company.

Zulily achieved $1.2 billion in annual sales during 2014, but Wall Street was none too happy with that.

The flash-sale website operator expects first-quarter sales of $300 million to $320 million, compared with the $371 million estimate from analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters. For the full year, it expects $1.5 billion to $1.65 billion, compared with an analyst estimate of $1.75 billion.

Minneapolis – Target Corp. has agreed to pay almost $4 million in fines for overcharging customers at stores in Contra Costa, Sonoma, Marin, Santa Cruz and Fresno counties in California. The payment will settle a complaint filed by the San Diego City Attorney’s Office in conjunction with the district attorneys of the affected counties.

The complaint said that Target charged consumers more money at the cash register than was advertised on price tags in aisles, and also misrepresented the weight of packaged food.

Charlotte, N.C. -- Crescent Communities has unveiled plans for a mixed-use, transit-oriented development that will bring Uptown Charlotte its first Whole Foods Market. The company’s plans for the 5.4-acre site at the Lynx Light Rail’s Stonewall Station, in Charlotte, North Carolina, define a new model of urban living for the area and complement its Tryon Place mixed-use development to redefine the city’s Stonewall corridor.

Washington, D.C. -- Retail sales (excluding automobiles, gas stations, and restaurants) will increase 4.1% in 2015, up from 3.5% in 2014, according to the National Retail Federation’s 2015 economic forecast. The increase would mark the biggest annual growth since 2011 when retail sales for the year increased 5.1%. Non-store sales in 2015 are expected to grow between 7% and 10%.

Wal-Mart Stores is giving a big boost to its Canadian operations even as Target shuts downs its failed Canadian venture.

The CEO of Cabela’s is blaming marketing costs for the company’s weaker earnings in the fourth quarter.

For the quarter, total revenue increased 7.2% to $1.3 billion; retail store revenue increased 13.9% to $810.6 million; direct revenue decreased 5.4% to $349.9 million; and financial services revenue increased 9.9% to $113.3 million. During the period, same store store sales decreased 5.5%.