Supply Chain & Merchandising

New York City -- Best Buy plans to reduce its store size by subleasing store space to smaller retailers, according to The Los Angeles Times. The chain’s new stores will be in the 36,000-sq.-ft. range, down from its current 45,000-sq.-ft. model.

"We can reduce our overall square footage while actually increasing our presence," Best Buy CEO Brian Dunn said at the company's annual shareholders meeting this week. "It's an opportunity to capture cost savings and get ourselves 'right size.'"

Quincy, Mass. -- Stop & Shop Supermarket has opened a store in Andover, Mass., that offers a variety of high-tech shopping solutions, including Check It! self checkout lanes, and Scan It! hand held devices that allow customers to scan and bag groceries while they shop. Customers can also pre-order deli items at designated Order It! kiosks.

LA JOLLA, Calif. — Select Target stores are now the exclusive retailer of Bear Naked's newest breakfast cereal.

Bear Naked Nut Cluster Crunch comes in honey almond and maple nut variety is available for a suggested retail price of $3.99.  

Bear Naked, which specializes in natural food products, was designed to give busy, active people the natural energy they need to make the most of their morning.

NEW YORK — Tiffany & Co. announced that Patrick McGuiness has been appointed SVP and CFO  and that James Fernandez has been appointed to the newly-created role of COO. 

New York City -- Macy’s announced the launch of international shipping on its e-commerce site to 91 countries in Africa, Asia, Australia, the Caribbean, Europe, the Middle East, North and South America. The department store retailer is partnering with FiftyOne, a provider of international e-commerce services and infrastructure to U.S. retailers.

New York City -- Stephen Carvelli, director of eCommerce at Chico’s FAS, was honored as Retail Executive of the Year at the 2011 Oracle Retail Excellence Awards. Carvelli was cited for his advocacy of cross-channel technology and knowledge of how e-commerce technology is applied in retail environments. Chico’s also was honored in the category of “Outstanding Achievement in Customer Experience.”

The awards were announced at the annual Oracle Retail CrossTalk event, held June 21-24, at Westfields Marriott, Washington, D.C.

Janney Montgomery Scott analyst David Strasser downgraded shares of Target to neutral from buy on Monday. In doing so he cited some familiar concerns about the challenging competitive environment, rising input costs and anticipated difficulties passing through price increases to cash-strapped shoppers thereby negatively affecting gross margins.

CAMDEN, N.J. — Campbell Soup Company has named Denise Morrison president and CEO, effective Aug. 1, the first day of Campbell’s next fiscal year. In October 2010, Morrison was named EVP and COO and elected a director of the company in anticipation of her appointment to the role of CEO at the beginning of fiscal 2012.

Morrison will succeed Douglas Conant, who will step down as president and CEO on July 31, 2011, after more than a decade in that role. Conant also will step down from Campbell’s board of directors at that time.