Supply Chain & Merchandising

Hoffman Estates, Ill. -- Sears Holdings announced that William Hutchinson will join the company as senior VP and president, supply chain. Hutchinson, who most recently served as VP of global fulfillment and logistics for Dell, succeeds Raj Penkar who has led the company's supply chain business unit since 2011. Penkar will retire from Sears Holdings on May 31.

In his new role with the company, Hutchinson will be accountable for all aspects of the company's supply chain, including distribution, transportation, customs compliance and global sourcing.

Friendswood, Texas — The 1.2-million-sq.-ft. Baybrook Mall in Houston is getting another 550,000 sq. ft. The mall owner, General Growth Properties, and the landowner, a CDC Houston-managed entity, have formed a joint venture to carry out he project. Work will begin in early May and completed by the 2015 holiday season.

Ankeny, Iowa -- Casey’s General Stores has selected Softeon’s warehouse managements ystem (WMS), as well as its load planning, yard management, and labor management applications, to improve efficiency and accuracy of its DC operations and drive additional throughput from existing DCs to enable them to support addition of new retail stores in the same physical footprint.

AmazonFresh recently launched a new tool called the Amazon Dash that allows users to scan items or speak the items aloud as part of a new way to shop for groceries without having to go into the store or shop online. 

"Every member of the family can use Dash to easily add items to your AmazonFresh shopping list," AmazonFresh announced. "Keep it on your kitchen counter or hang it on the refrigerator. Did your kids just eat the last of the cereal? Conveniently refill and restock your home's everyday essentials, and have fun doing it."

Gouverneur, N.Y. -- Kinney Drug Inc. has decided to change its name to KPH Healthcare Services. The new name is designed to more accurately reflect the makeup of Kinney’s diverse range of pharmacy-related healthcare services, the company said.

“We believe that the name change will afford each of our divisions the best opportunity to grow business within existing markets, as well as position them for expansion into new markets,” the company said in a statement sent to Drug Store News.

Carle Place, N.Y. -- Deliv has been chosen as a same-day delivery vendor for 1-800-Flowers.com, its affiliated gourmet food brands, and its network of BloomNet florists across the U.S. commencing with a pilot in the San Francisco Bay area. Using Deliv, 1-800-Flowers.com will enhance its same-day delivery service in several ways, including the use of Deliv's proprietary technology for an upgraded delivery experience.

SPAR Group, a leading supplier of retail merchandising and other marketing services throughout the United States and internationally, has appointed Panos Mastrogiannis as chief information officer and executive officer.

The company also provided shareholders with an update on its technological advances.

Seattle — AmazonFresh recently launched a new tool called the Amazon Dash that allows users to scan items or speak the items aloud as part of a new way to shop for groceries without having to go into the store or shop online.