Supply Chain & Merchandising

New York -- On their recent earnings (second quarter) call with analysts, Coldwater Creek CEO Jill Brown Dean and CFO/COO James Bell talked technology, specifically discussing the results of the company’s implementation of the new Oracle-based inventory planning system.

The implementation was competed in March 2013, Bell noted. He added that while the company had, in recent years, developed many inventory management disciplines, it was lacking adequate tools to fully maximize its inventory investment.       

The Men's Wearhouse experienced a decline in customer traffic and a subsequent drop in retail clothing sales during the second quarter ended Aug. 3, and has lowered its guidance as a result.

Ocean City, Md. — Fractured Prune Doughnuts has announced a national expansion projecting 50 new store agreements in the next six months. The next Fractured Prune www.fracturedprune.com will open in St. George, Utah, on Sept. 24.

The brightly colored doughnut shops promote always hot doughnuts, available all ways and offers 15 glazes and 15 toppings.

Walmart held another one of its Global Sustainability Milestone Meetings on Thursday and shed new light on priorities and initiatives that promise to have far-reaching implications on suppliers as well as competitors.

The highlight of the meeting was an update on the company’s Sustainability Index which has been rolled out to 200 product categories and 1,000 suppliers with a total of 300 categories and 5,000 suppliers expected by year end, according to the company.

Canton, Mass. -- Dunkin’ Donuts announced that it has signed agreements with two franchise groups to begin developing Dunkin' Donuts restaurants in the United Kingdom. The two agreements call for the development of 50 Dunkin' Donuts restaurants in Greater London over the next five years, with an initial focus on North London and East London.

DULUTH, Ga. — AGCO, a worldwide manufacturer and distributor of agricultural equipment and infrastructure, has appointed Roger Batkin as VP, general counsel. Batkin joined the company in 2000.

Philadelphia -- Destination Maternity Corp. plans to relocate its corporate headquarters and distribution center from Philadelphia, to southern New Jersey.

The company's corporate office operations (which are currently split between its headquarters at North 5th Street in Philadelphia and its offices in the Philadelphia Navy Yard) will move twelve miles from the current 5th Street headquarters facility to a completely renovated 74,000-sq. ft. building in Moorestown, New Jersey. The chain expects the move to occur in fall 2014.

TORONTO — Hudson's Bay Company's second quarter was characterized by strong same store sales growth at Hudson’s Bay and rising e-commerce sales, which were partially offset by a decline in same store sales at Lord & Taylor.