Workforce Management

Pleasanton, Calif. — Safeway on Friday announced it will expand its support of America's military veterans by hiring at least 1,000 military veterans in 2013 to add to the 1,300 hired to-date in 2012. In addition, the company is raising money this Veterans Day weekend for organizations that help veterans recover from service-related injuries and/or return to the civilian workforce.

By Jason Hamilton, [email protected]

West Bridgewater, Mass. -- Supervalu said Monday it has cut about 700 store-level positions at the company’s Shaw's and Star Market stores in New England.

New York -- Supervalu Inc. is cutting 700 positions at its Shaw’s and Star Market divisions in New England.

The company said Friday that the job cuts will take place in 169 Shaw's and Star Market stores.

NCR Corporation got a big order from Walmart this week that will allow the retailer to expand its self-checkout capability and potentially attract shoppers turned off by Walmart’s long checkout lines.

NCR said it would be installing 10,000 of its SelfServ Checkout lanes in more than 1,200 Walmart stores. That works out to about eight self checkouts per store, although the companies didn’t provide details concerning Walmart’s installed base of self-checkouts.

Chelmsford, Mass. -- The ratio of retail hires to applicants has gone up to the highest number since August 2008, rising to 4.8% in October, according to the Kronos Retail Labor Index. (The Index is defined as the ratio of hires to applications within a given month, expressed as a percentage. A level of 3% means that for every 100 applications received, three hires occurred.)

Hoffman Estates, Ill. -- Sears Holdings announced that both Sears and Kmart stores will be open on Thanksgiving Day. The company said its made the decision based in part on feedback from members of its Shop Your Way loyalty program, who sought more flexible Black Friday in-store shopping times and eagerness to shop doorbuster deals.

New York -- Nearly half (49%) of retail CFOs expect their capital expenditures will increase in the next 12 months, a 19-point uptick that leads all industries, and 29% expect to consider additional financing for expenditures, also leading all industries. according to GE Capital’s latest semi-annual “U.S. Mid-Market CFO Survey.” (Retail respondents have revenues of $150 million and an employee count of 1,235, on average. Data comparisons are against the GE Capital Mid-Market’s CFO Survey executed in first quarter 2012.