Supply Chain & Merchandising

New York City -- Menards is considering a new store in a Springfield, Mo., shopping mall -- as long as it isn’t included in the development’s community improvement district (CID), according to an article in the Springfield News Leader.

The Eau Claire, Wis.-based home improvement chain is planning a 162,000-sq.-ft. store in the Hickory Hills Marketplace, which levies a 1% tax on tenants to help pay back the cost of public improvements at the development.

Plano, Texas -- J. C. Penney Co. has tapped another former Apple executive to join its executive ranks. J. C. Penney announced that Kristen E. Blum has been named executive VP and chief technology officer, effective Jan. 23. She reports to COO Mike Kramer, and has responsibility for the company's jcp.com business and information technology systems.

New York City -- Ahold USA, the U.S. division of Amsterdam-based Ahold, has selected the NCR Advanced Marketing Solution from NCR Corp. to manage offers and promotions to customers. The solution is designed to allow retailers to streamline the management of multichannel promotion delivery by eliminating systems and business processes, while also reducing operations and IT support requirements.

PLANO, Texas — Another former Apple executive has joined the ranks at JCPenney. The company announced Wednesday that Kristen Blum, a former director of supply chain and International retail for Apple Inc., has been named EVP and chief technology officer, effective Jan. 23. 

Blum reports to COO Mike Kramer, and has responsibility for the  company's JCP.com business and information technology systems.

Richardson, Texas -- Wingstop said Wednesday that it has signed two development agreements that will result in 14 new restaurants in the Chicago area.

The multi-unit development agreements include a three-store deal with an existing franchise group and an 11-store deal with Chicagoland Wing Kings.

“We expect to double our presence in the area over the next two to three years," said Bev Rich, senior director of franchise development, Wingstop.

Wingstop currently has 19 restaurants in the Chicago area.

Atlanta -- Aaron's announced that Jeannie M. Cave has been hired as the company's new VP real estate and construction. She will be responsible for a number of activities including the development of strategies that support Aaron's real estate goals and the management of the company's real estate portfolio for both company-operated and franchised stores.

Cave brings 10 years of leadership experience from Cox Enterprises.
 

New York City -- A report by Reuters on Tuesday revealed widespread Wall Street speculation that Sears Holdings Corp. may go private.

"There is a rumor that Bruce Berkowitz of Fairholme and Eddie Lampert could take Sears private," Jon Najarian, a co-founder of TradeMonster.com in Chicago, told Reuters.
 
Sears has not commented on the rumors, which come days after CIT Group halted loans that Sears' suppliers use to finance the goods they sell to the Sears and Kmart chains.

NORTHFIELD, Ill. — Realigning U.S. sales, consolidating U.S. management centers and streamlining corporate and business unit organizations are on the to-do list of Kraft Foods as it prepares to spin off its business in two independent public companies before the end of the year.