News Briefs
- 10/14/2025
Camera West New York City flagship unites physical, digital channels
One of the nation's leading sellers of fine photographic equipment is celebrating its 25th anniversary with the opening of a flagship in New York City’s SoHo neighborhood.
Described as a “one-of-a-kind" retail destination, the new Camera West location is designed as a bridge between the company’s physical and digital channels. It integrates Shopify POS with the brand's existing e-commerce platform to provide a seamless connection across every customer touchpoint. Shoppers can access their order history, purchase records and personalized recommendations — whether they buy in-store or online.
Camera West said the flagship underscores its continued commitment to innovation, craftsmanship and community, and sets the stage for further expansion, including a forthcoming location in San Francisco’s Union Square.
"Camera West was built around one simple goal: delivering unique, personalized experiences for every customer," said Ben Carpenter, marketing director at Camera West. "Our customers are travelers, adventurers, and creators. Unifying those experiences through Shopify allows us to focus on what truly matters: relationships. With support from Shopify and P3 Media, we've been able to bring our vision of seamless, connected retail to life in New York City — and this is just the beginning."
The SoHo outpost also introduces an expanded product category: fine timepieces. The items are curated to reflect the same craftsmanship and artistry that define Camera West's legacy in photography, the company said.
- 10/14/2025
Dollar Tree optimizes workforce management
Dollar Tree Inc. is automating store-level tasks and streamlining employee interactions.
The discount retailer is deploying the Legion workforce management platform in an effort to better manage its labor budget while also increasing employee engagement across its North American fleet of stores and distribution centers.
“As a retailer with more than 9,000 stores, 18 distribution centers, and over 150,000 associates, we needed a next-generation solution that would allow us to better manage our labor budget while increasing associate engagement," said Jocelyn Konrad, chief of Dollar Tree stores and enterprise operations. "Legion’s platform showed us we didn’t have to compromise. With Legion’s support, we are enhancing our workforce operations to improve our associate workflows while delivering genuine value for our business."
[READ MORE: Dollar Tree to host National Hiring Week event at its stores]
Legion will serve as Dollar Tree’s first-ever engagement platform for its hourly associates. With access to Legion’s mobile app, associates can request schedule adjustments, swap shifts, communicate with their managers, and gain access to their performance rewards and feedback through a single interface.
"By automating thousands of routine tasks across more than 9,000 stores, the Legion workforce management platform will help Dollar Tree drive consistent execution and improve performance at scale," said Sanish Mondkar, CEO of Legion Technologies. "The platform also enhances compliance through powerful automation and visibility tools across multiple jurisdictions, while delivering advanced demand forecasting to optimize labor utilization and ensure appropriate staffing levels."
- 10/13/2025
Weis Markets leverages AI for real-time promotions management
A regional East Coast grocer is deploying an artificial intelligence platform to enhance its promotion planning and analysis.
Weis Markets is implementing the Cognira PromoAI solution to gain real-time insights that will help it evaluate performance and make better decisions in its promotional efforts. The retailer selected PromoAI for its AI functionality, intuitive workflows, and analytical capabilities that will streamline promotions in-store and across digital channels.
“We continue to focus on supporting our stores with efficient and impactful promotions to benefit our customers and drive sales,” said Greg Zeh, Weis Markets CIO/senior VP. “Our collaboration with Cognira will help us develop a unified platform to plan, manage, and optimize promotions across our fresh and non-perishable departments.”
Weis Markets also intends to achieve greater collaboration among merchandising, marketing and analytics teams; as well as optimize trade fund usage and reduce inefficiencies.
Through a partnership with SymphonyAI which launched in 2018, Weis Markets also leverages CINDE AI technology to develop “prescriptive insights that uncover opportunities and actions to engage customers and accelerate growth.”
[READ MORE: Weis Markets expands tech partnership for category insights]
Using CINDE AI, category managers can discern customer behaviors and interpret the drivers of performance company-wide down to specific stores, while also providing insights into opportunities for growing customer loyalty.
"We’re thrilled to welcome Weis Markets to the Cognira family," said Dr. Hatem Sellami, founder and CEO of Cognira. "We look forward to working with Weis Markets unlock new levels of efficiency and promotional impact with PromoAI."
Founded in 1912, Weis Markets Inc. is a regional food retailer operating 200 stores across Pennsylvania, Maryland, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Virginia and West Virginia.
- 10/13/2025
Report: Kroger looks to hire its next CEO from outside the company
The Kroger Co. may be breaking from tradition.
The grocery store giant expects to hire its next CEO from outside the company, according to a report by the Cincinnati Business Courier.
“Selecting our first-ever external hire Chief Executive Officer in our company's 143-year history,” wrote Kroger chief people officer Tim Massa in response to a question about his biggest goal for next year in a questionnaire for the Business Courier’s C-Suite Awards. Massa is an honoree in the chief human resources officer category.
Kroger has been looking for a new chief executive since March when Rodney McMullen resigned following a board investigation of his personal conduct that was unrelated to the business but “inconsistent” with Kroger's policy on business ethics. The Kroger board appointed lead director Ronald "Ron" Sargent, the former chairman and CEO of Staples, as interim CEO, and said it was working with a search firm to identify a new CEO.
Kroger officials did not comment on Massa’s statement.
Multiple investment analysts who follow Kroger also expect the company to hire an external candidate, according to the report.
“A new CEO is likely within three to six months with a handful of leading external candidates in focus, in our view,” Michael Montani, analyst at New York-based Evercore ISI, wrote in a research report last week.
- 10/13/2025
Walmart gives ‘golden ticket’ to more than 100 entrepreneurs
More than 500 entrepreneurs showed up to pitch their products at Walmart’s 12th annual Open Call, which was held last week at the retailer’s new headquarters in Bentonville, Ark.
More than 100 small businesses received "Golden Tickets," which gives suppliers the opportunity for their products to be sold in Walmart and Sam’s Club stores and online — joining the more than 60% of Walmart U.S. suppliers that are small businesses.
In addition to product pitches, Open Call 2025 included presentations from 13 companies developing technologies that support U.S. manufacturing. These innovations ranged from shelf-life extension and yield optimization to alternative materials and advanced production techniques aimed at improving efficiency and reducing costs
“Open Call is Walmart at its best, backing American jobs, lifting up small businesses and offering customers new products they’ll love,” said John Furner, president & CEO, Walmart U.S. “For the past 12 years, the event has helped entrepreneurs grow, and in the process, helped boost U.S. manufacturing.”
Open Call also equips small businesses with practical tools to grow, compete and deliver for customers across the country. Entrepreneurs took part in intensive training and mentorship sessions focused on scaling production, improving packaging and strengthening financial and operational readiness — hearing directly from Walmart and Sam’s Club merchants, sourcing experts and past Open Call alumni about what it takes to succeed at national scale.
In 2021, Walmart announced a $350 billion, 10-year commitment to purchase products made, grown or assembled in the U.S., an initiative estimated to support up to 750,000 jobs through its supply chain. As of the end of last year, Walmart increased cumulative U.S. spend by $176 billion toward its $350 billion goal, and about two-thirds of Walmart U.S. product spend was on goods suppliers reported were sourced domestically.
- 10/13/2025
Here’s where supply chain execs are focusing their priorities
A new survey reveals a transformation in how supply chains are being executed.
More than seven-in-10 (72%) supply chain leaders are actively diversifying their supplier base away from risk concentrations. This is the highest-priority disruption mitigation strategy identified in the new "Peak Season Confidence Report 2025" from supply chain software provider Depopsco.
The survey of supply chain professionals also reveals that 34% of respondents are building supply chain resilience and 34% are also improving forecasting accuracy. Depopsco analysis indicates these findings signal a "dramatic transformation" as supply chain organizations have evolved from reactive crisis management to proactive strategic development.
[READ MORE: Survey: Retail execs preparing for supply chain disruptions, tariffs]
Supply chain optimism grows
The survey also reveals sharp growth in supply chain optimism with 84% of respondents expressing confidence in their fulfillment systems for 2025, up 20% from 70% in 2024.
In addition, only 46% expect 2025 to be more challenging than 2024, compared to 77% who anticipated increased difficulty in 2024 compared to 2023. Three-in-four (76%) respondents expect to outperform competitors, while 66% anticipate better profit margins despite ongoing cost pressures.
Technology investment priorities
To achieve these positive results, respondents are prioritizing supply chain technology investments including:
- 32% prioritize real-time cost tracking and margin analysis.
- 30% focus on multi-region supplier management and risk assessment.
- 30% prioritize technology integration for data visibility.
Supply chain workforce strategies
Respondents are also emphasizing supply chain workforce optimization alongside investments in strategic capabilities:
- 88% are cross-training existing workers for maximum flexibility.
- 78% are hiring seasonal workers earlier to ensure adequate training time.
- 76% are increasing compensation to attract and retain quality talent.
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