Supply Chain & Merchandising

By Jerome Malavoy, CEO and Founder, Trace One

Nicholas Isasi, Executive Vice President, DM Transportation

As the economy continues to slowly recover, retailers, more than ever, are looking to maximize revenues while controlling costs. Increasingly, many company CFOs and logistics managers are examining an often-overlooked expense that is costing them, in many cases, tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars per year: inbound transportation costs.

Discount grocer Aldi, Costco and Walmart were recognized as the nation’s low price grocery leaders in a recent study conducted by Market Force Information.

It was the fourth consecutive year Aldi has received the low price distinction in the survey conducted by Market Force, a leading customer intelligence solutions firm. When asked to rank the top grocers offering low prices, the 6,200 consumers who participated in the study ranked Aldi first, Costco second and Walmart third. Aldi president Jason Hart was quick to take a victory lap.

Wayne, N.J. – Toys “R” Us Inc. has named Chetan Bhandari senior VP, corporate finance and treasurer. In this capacity, Bhandari will be responsible for managing relationships with domestic and international lenders, depository banks, credit insurers and credit rating agencies, as well as overseeing the company’s global cash management, foreign exchange programs and capital markets activities.

Toys“R”Us has appointed Chetan Bhandari as the company’s SVP, corporate finance and treasurer. He will report to EVP and CFO Mike Short.

New York -- Aldi was recognized as the nation's low-price grocery leader for the fourth year in a row, according to a recent consumer survey conducted by Market Force Information. Aldi announced in December 2013 that it intends to open 650 new stores across the country during the next five years.

When asked to rank the top grocers offering low prices, the 6,200 consumers who participated in the study ranked Aldi first, followed by Costco and Walmart third.

Livingston, New Jersey — The Fresh Market will open a 23,000-sq.-ft. store at The Village at Livingston (New Jersey), occupying a portion of the center’s former Pathmark store. The store is slated to open fall 2014.

The 93,000-sq.-ft. shopping center, which is managed and developed by Eastman Companies of Livingston, features tenants Olive Garden, GameStop, Wine Legend, Karate USA, Hudson City Savings and Zen Japanese Cuisine.

Walgreens has exercised its option to complete the second step of its strategic transaction with Alliance Boots ahead of the original option period, which was between February and August 2015. The transaction, subject to shareholder and various regulatory approvals, would fully combine the two companies to form the first global pharmacy-led, health and well-being enterprise.