Supply Chain & Merchandising

Lululemon has appointed Tara Poseley as the company’s chief product officer. In this role, Poseley will oversee the company’s global merchandising and design strategy, working hand in hand with its design team including Deanne Schweitzer, SVP and head of women’s design, and Felix Del Toro, SVP and head of men’s design.

Poseley, who will be reporting to CEO Christine Day, will be responsible for merchandising, inventory, allocation and strategic planning.

Seattle -- Starbucks Coffee Company on Wednesday reported a better-then-expected 34% rise in its fiscal fourth-quarter and raised its quarterly dividend 24%. The company earned $481.1 million, up from $359 million a year ago.

Total net revenues increased 13% to $3.8 billion, just short of expectations.

Global same-store sales increased 7%, driven by a 5% increase in traffic. Same-store sales were up 8% in the United States and the Americas and 8% in China/Asia Pacific region.

Salisbury, N.C. -- Bottom Dollar Food will open two new stores on Thursday, Oct. 31, one in the Germantown neighborhood of Philadelphia, and one in Ambler, Pa., bringing the market total for the discount grocery chain to 43 stores.

The two new stores add approximately 100 jobs to the greater Philadelphia economy. With the addition of the two new locations, Bottom Dollar Food now operates 62 stores in New Jersey, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. Each store is approximately 18,000 sq. ft.

Retail sales fell in September for the first time in six months, but the decline was credited to a drop-off in auto purchases. Most U.S. retail sectors actually experienced broad sales gains during the month, according to the National Retail Federation, which reported that, excluding automobiles, gas stations and restaurants, retail sales grew a seasonally 0.6% compared to the previous month and 3.8% unadjusted compared to the prior year.

Results of specific sectors include:

New York – The Jones Group Inc’s net income rose a better-than-expected 67% in the third quarter, increasing to $28.3 million from $17.8 million.

However, revenues in the quarter ended Oct. 5 fell about 1%, to $1.02 billion from $1.03 billion.

Oakland, Calif. -- GT Nexus announced that The Children's Place, the largest pure-play children’s specialty apparel retailer in North America, has selected its technology platform and services to enable its global supply chain and support business growth. The cloud-based platform will help Children’s Place, which operates 1,116 stores and an online store, automate and streamline ordering, manufacturing and transportation processes.

New York -- Kenneth Cole Productions Inc. has implemented Gerber Technology’s YuniquePLM software for its men’s, women’s, and children’s apparel and footwear lines. The vertical retailer is using the product lifecycle management (PLM) solution to ensure its many teams are able to collaborate and communicate optimally to increase speed and efficiency of getting products to market.

Brooklyn, N.Y. -- Lifestyle/Trimco/Viaggio, the Brooklyn, N.Y.-based manufacturer of mannequins, forms, specialty fixtures, fabric applications, seasonal trim and holiday décor, has merged with Almax, the world-renowned mannequin company based in Italy.
 
The new company, Global Visual Group, will make its debut at A.R.E.’s Retail Design Collective, which will be in New York City, December 4-6, 2013.