Supply Chain & Merchandising

By Will McKitterick, analyst, IBIS World

New York -- Academy Sports + Outdoors will celebrate the simultaneous opening of four stores in the Orlando, Florida, area in March.

The new stores will be located in Kissimmee, Waterford, Lake Mary and Melbourne and will open simultaneously at 8:30 a.m. on March 6. The openings mark the Katy, Texas-based company’s furthest expansion eastward to date.

The $4 billion sporting goods retailer has entered into a multi-year partnership with the Orlando City Soccer Club beginning with the team's inaugural 2015 season.  

New York -- Staples has entered an agreement to acquire Office Depot in a cash and stock deal valued at $6.3 billon that is sure to face a high degree of regulatory scrutiny.

Target chairman and CEO Brian Cornell has made some bold moves since arriving at Target last fall, but the most significant revelations concerning long term prospects will come in early March when the company hosts its first investor conference of the Cornell era.

Fort Worth, Texas – As the New York Stock Exchange delists trading of its shares, beleaguered consumer electronics retailer RadioShack Corp. reportedly has at least two suitors interested in buying some of its stores. According to Bloomberg, both Amazon.com Inc. and Sprint Corp. are in discussions with RadioShack about possibly acquiring some stores, with RadioShack shuttering whatever stores were left.

Quincy, Ill. - Niemann Foods, a regional independent grocer operating under the County Market banner, has selected Birdzi’s Shopper Engagement platform to provide its shoppers with new in-store services and personalized offers via the grocer’s branded mobile app. The Birdzi platform is currently deployed in eight County Market stores, but Niemann Foods plans to roll out the solution to all 45 of the grocer’s store locations in Iowa, Illinois and Missouri by second quarter 2015.

Cincinnati -- Macy’s on Tuesday unveiled a series of senior executive appointments the retailer says will support its new focus on omnichannel advances and overall innovation. Macy’s announced on Jan. 8 it would restructure its omnichannel capabilities and align the organization toward growth via merchandising, merchandise planning, marketing and technology.

Effective Jan. 31, the following changes were made to staffing and priorities:

Framingham, Mass. – The office supply retail vertical may be in for more consolidation. According to the Wall Street Journal, Staples Inc. and Office Depot Inc. are in the “advanced stages” of negotiations to combine the two biggest U.S. office supply chains.