Supply Chain & Merchandising

Tewksbury, Mass. – Although no promise has been made to rehire ousted CEO Arthur T. Demoulas, a rally at the corporate headquarters of Demoulas Super Markets Inc. is replacing a previously planned employee walkout. Employees of Demoulas’ Market Basket chain had threatened to stage a walkout on July 18 in protest of Demoulas’ removal as CEO in June.

New York -- Spanish apparel giant Inditex, plans to have radio frequency identification technology in place in its nearly 2,000 Zara stores around the globe by 2016. The technology has already been installed at all of Zara's distribution centers and at more than 700 Zara stores.

Naperville, Ill. – Arba Retail Systems has released a new mobile POS solution. Built specifically for Microsoft Surface tablet series, this retail management software is compatible with the latest Microsoft Surface Pro 3 Tablet.

The retail version is designed for both single unit and chain stores. The software is built on the latest Microsoft technologies — .NET and MS SQL Server, and compatible with the Windows 8 OS.

Ann Arbor, Mich. – Almost nine-in-10 (88%) of consumers consider speed of delivery to be more important during the holiday season than at any other time of the year. According to the Holiday Fulfillment Report from CFI Group and EBay Enterprise that surveyed more than 500 consumers, 96% of respondents said guaranteed delivery dates are important when choosing which online retailer to purchase from.

PPG Industries, a leading coatings and specialty materials company, has elevated EVP Michael H. McGarry to chief operating officer, effective Aug. 1. He will remain based at PPG’s global headquarters in Pittsburgh and continue to report to chairman and CEO Charles E. Bunch.

McGarry will have executive oversight responsibility for all of PPG’s strategic business units and operating regions and for the information technology (IT), environment, health and safety (EH&S) and purchasing functions.

Paris -- The focus of c-suite and senior executive attention has shifted from economic uncertainty to data, technology and the supply chain, according to the Global Top of Mind Survey from KPMG International and the Consumer Goods Forum. Over half (54%) of respondents cited digital strategy for mobile/digital platforms as top of mind for their business during the next 12 months.

Loblaw’s board of directors has named executive chairman Galen G. Weston as president, effective immediately. Thomas O'Neill, lead independent director, confirmed the appointment as part of a series of management changes at the company.

As executive chairman, Weston is responsible for setting the strategic direction of the company and leading the board. In assuming the role of president, Weston will also be responsible for the execution of the company's strategy, leadership of the management team and its overall business performance.

San Mateo, Calif. - NetSuite Inc. a provider of cloud-based financials, ERP and omnichannel commerce software suites is acquiring London-based Venda, a provider of e-commerce solutions for an undisclosed amount. NetSuite says its acquisition of Venda builds on the momentum of NetSuite SuiteCommerce globally and supports NetSuite’s business expansion into the European market.