Business Intelligence (BI)

SAN FRANCISCO — Williams-Sonoma has announced that Mary Ann Casati and Lorraine Twohill have been elected to its board of directors.

“We are excited to have Mary Ann and Lorraine join our board,” said Adrian Bellamy, chairman of the board of directors of Williams-Sonoma Inc. “These two individuals each bring a unique perspective and expertise that we believe will help shape the success of our company.”

SUNBURY, Pa. — Weis Markets on Monday announced it has joined the SmartWay Transport Partnership, a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency program, that will help the grocer assess the environmental and energy efficiency of the trucks supplying its 161 stores.

Atlanta -- RedPrarie Corp., a global supply chain and retail technology provider, announced that BJ’s Wholesale Club plans to use RedPrairie’s transportation management system to streamline its transportation operations and reduce costs. The solution is designed to enable wholesale clubs and retailers to improve operational efficiencies by automating transportation tasks and optimizing the planning of shipments. BJ’s Wholesale Club will be able to better monitor carrier performance and shipment activities throughout the supply chain.

Dallas -- PeopleAnswers and Canada-based Town Shoes, which sells under Town Shoes and The Shoe Company, announced a software licensing agreement for the retailer to use the PeopleAnswers’ human-relations solution in its 124 stores across Canada for pre-employment screening and employee selection.

DALLAS — JCPenney Co. will host a two-part launch event where senior management will outline its much-anticipated plan of transformation on the mornings of Jan. 25 and Jan. 26 in New York City.

Washington, D.C. -- Applied Predictive Technologies announced that AutoZone has signed an agreement to license APT's Test & Learn Management System to assist in evaluating strategic initiatives across all major functional areas.

AutoZone chose to license the system after piloting the software to test the value of various initiatives in marketing, merchandising, pricing, store operations, loss prevention, store development, and programs targeting commercial business customers.

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.

MINNEAPOLIS — Target announced that it has temporarily suspended its efforts to sell its credit card receivables portfolio. The company said it remains committed to selling the portfolio on appropriate terms, but based on discussions with potential partners the company has determined that it is not in its best interests to finalize a transaction at this time.