Logistics

Consumer electronics and furniture retailer Conn’s has named a COO, along with heads for logistics and service.   The retailer named Coleman R. (“CR”) Gaines as president and COO, effective February 1, 2017.   Gaines previously spent seven years at TMX Finance in Savannah, Georgia, a consumer retail finance company, where he was most recently the company’s executive VP of store operations.     

Wawa has big plans for the Sunshine State.    The privately-owned, Pennsylvania-based convenience store chain plans to open 25 to 30 stores every year throughout Florida during the next several years.   In 2017, Wawa will start its push into the southeast part of the state, with a first wave of stores opening in Palm Beach and Broward Counties.  

Move over Alibaba — Amazon has a new jobs plan too, one with more details and a more immediate window of opportunity.   

Technology is transforming the retail landscape as we know it. The Census Bureau estimates that U.S. online retail sales were $97.3 million in second quarter 2016, a 15.8% increase from the previous year. According to Forrester, that growth is expected to continue with U.S. online retail sales anticipated to exceed $520 billion by 2020. Globally, online sales are growing three-times faster than GDP.  

BJ’s Wholesale Club is knee-deep in a company-wide initiative to add processes that allow it to operate more efficiently.   It has taken a major step by partnering with Glory Global Solutions to roll out cash automation solutions across its 200-plus-club chain. As cash still accounts for around 30% of consumer transactions in the U.S., it remains extremely important to retailer margins. However, the process of moving money is complex.   

As Amazon expands across the globe, enhancing its logistics capabilities as well as adding to the list of perks for its Amazon Prime members, retailers and logistics providers are taking note.

The pressure is on for retailers to not only meet customer expectations, but to also exceed them as differentiation in the retail industry becomes paramount. Amazon has raised the bar for expectations with offers such as same-day delivery and free shipping, and its influence is spreading as it becomes one of the world’s biggest retailers.

Chain Store Age tech editor Deena M. Amato-McCoy spoke with Mike Lowey, director of retail for Brother Mobile Solutions, and learned how an increasingly evolving omnichannel retailing model, especially digital channels, is impacting replenishment operations and what retailers need to do to adapt.

Warehousing operations are growing more complex by the day. What trends are impacting how merchandise moves through the warehouse and up to store-level?

The Amazon Marketplace, an online mall that that allows third-party sellers to reach customers around the world, hit big milestones during the holiday season.