News Briefs

The parent company of Famous Footwear and other footwear retailers is on the hunt for a new finance chief.

Caleres has appointed Dan Karpel, the company’s senior VP and chief accounting officer, to the additional role of interim CFO, effective immediately. Karpel succeeds Jack Calandra, who is leaving Caleres at the end of the month to pursue other opportunities. The company has commenced an external search for a permanent successor.

Karpel rejoined Caleres as chief accounting officer in October 2025 and brings over 30 years of accounting and finance experience to the role of interim CFO. He previously spent eight years at Caleres from 2008 to 2016.

Most recently, Karpel served as the chief financial officer of Club Car Wash Operating, LLC. Previously, he was chief financial officer of CW Holdings, LLC, the parent company of apparel brands Soft Surroundings and Coldwater Creek.

[READ MORE: Caleres, Cash App Afterpay partner for BNPL options]

“On behalf of the board of directors and all of our associates, I would like to thank Jack for his contributions over the last three plus years and wish him the very best,” said Jay Schmidt, president and CEO. “Dan recently returned to Caleres, and he knows our company well. We are confident that his deep familiarity with our company coupled with his financial expertise will ensure a smooth transition.”

Caleres’ portfolio of global footwear brands includes Famous Footwear, Sam Edelman, Stuart Weitzman, Allen Edmonds, Naturalizer and Vionic. The company operates nearly 1,000 retail stores.

Walmart is expanding its deployment of self-service, in-store key duplication kiosks that, using computer vision and robotics, are designed to deliver highly accurate key duplication.

The kiosks, from KeyMe Locksmiths, were introduced in an additional 1,667 Walmart stores in 2025, more than doubling its reach within the chain. The kiosks will be available in over 3,330 Walmart locations by the end of 2026.

The kiosks utilize computer vision technology, employing multiple cameras to capture a detailed 3D image of the key’s teeth. The kiosk then analyzes the scanned image using machine learning algorithms, accounting for wear and tear and effectively restoring the key to its original factory specifications. This ensures that even worn keys can be accurately duplicated. Once analyzed, the kiosk cuts a new key on the spot. 

“The technology provides a fast, simple, and consistent experience while reducing operational burdens on store teams,” said James Moorhead, CEO of KeyMe Locksmiths, which operates more than 7,500 kiosks nationwide.

In addition to Walmart, KeyMe Locksmiths deployed kiosks across a diverse network of retailers in 2025, including 7-Eleven, Albertsons, Army and Air Force Exchange Service, Kroger, Meijer, Rural King, Staples, Stop & Shop, Walmart and WinCo Foods. In a new collaboration, Blains Farm & Fleet launched a 10-location pilot.

“KeyMe Locksmiths began with a simple mission: to make key duplication fast, easy, and accessible,” said Moorhead. “Self-service key cutting delivers what manual cutting can’t: a wider selection of keys, advanced car-key capabilities and a profitable, zero-labor, zero-inventory experience for retailers. The technology provides a fast, simple, and consistent experience while reducing operational burdens on store teams.”

KeyMe Locksmiths pairs its kiosk network with a full suite of traditional locksmith services,

A global discount grocery giant is centralizing and automating key supply chain workflows in Asia.

Aldi plans to implement the TradeBeyond CBX order and logistics platform in its Aldi South Group, which manages the retailer’s international Asian markets. 

The company’s Aldi South Group sourcing operation, headquartered at a global buying and sourcing hub in Hong Kong, runs on a large supplier network throughout Asia, and it has faced challenges from inefficiencies and heightened error risk caused by manual processes such as spreadsheets.

Aldi will help ensure accurate supply chain documentation in Asia with the TradeBeyond platform and leverage its configurability to support varying supplier and country-specific requirements. As a result, the grocer intends to reduce errors and simplify cross-border shipment processes. 

"We chose TradeBeyond because their platform provided the level of flexibility needed to adapt to the ongoing complexity of multifaceted supply chain models," said Nathan Whitelum, director of international supply chain, Aldi. "As our team is responsible for providing products from various production facilities throughout Asia, to all Aldi countries internationally, we required a system that could support our specific requirements, while ensuring data accuracy, reliability, and scalability." 

Aldi will also utilize the CBX platform to manage its order structures, which involve varying product specifications like colors, sizes and styles. 

[READ MORE: Aldi launches first namesake brand as part of major private label rebrand]

"Aldi is one of the most intricate we’ve encountered, with layers of complexity that require precision at every step," said Tim Chiu, VP, TradeBeyond. "Our CBX platform was built for challenges like this, offering the flexibility that Aldi needs as it continues to scale its already vast operations."

Aldi operates more than 7,600 stores within Aldi South Group and 2,600 stores in the U.S.

Target Corp. is adding two retail industry veterans to its board of directors.

The appointments, which come as Target prepares for incoming CEO Michael Fiddelke, include Steve Bratspies, former CEO of HanesBrands Inc., and John Hoke, III, former chief innovation officer of Nike Inc.  

“John and Steve bring extensive experience that aligns closely with the board's priorities as we oversee Target's strategy, welcome Michael Fiddelke as CEO and guide the company into its next chapter of growth,” said Christine Leahy, lead independent director of Target's board.

Steve Bratspies

Bratspies joined HanesBrands Inc. in 2020, and led the company through a significant transformation that included the sale of the Champion brand in 2024 and the acquisition of HanesBrands by Gildan Activewear last year in 2025.

Prior to HanesBrands, Bratspies spent 15 years at Walmart, rising to the position of chief merchandising officer, and leaving to become CEO of HanesBrands in 2020.

John Hoke, III

Hoke spent more than three decades at Nike Inc., serving as the company's first chief innovation officer and heading the global design team responsible for product innovation and brand development across the Nike, Jordan and Converse businesses. During his tenure, he also served as chief design officer.

Prior to Nike, Hoke worked at Michael Graves Architecture & Design.

Bratspies will join the board on April 1 and serve on the audit & risk and the iInfrastructure & finance committees. Hoke will join the board on March 1 and serve on the governance & sustainability and the compensation & human capital management committees.

There’s been a change at the top at Lidl U.S.

Joel Rampoldt has stepped down as CEO of the discount grocer and is moving into an advisory role with the German-owned company. Rampoldt took the helm of Lidl in mid-2023. Prior to that, he was a partner and managing director at consulting firm AlixPartners.

Marco Giudici, chief customer officer of Lidl U.S., has been appointed as interim CEO. Giudici is the former chief executive of Lidl Romania.

The leadership shakeup comes as Lidl, which operates more than 180 stores across nine East Coast states and Washington, D.C., continues to struggle to find its footing in the U.S. The company has been challenged by increased competition in the value grocery sector, particularly from its fast-growing rival Aldi, which is targeting 3,200 locations by 2028.

[READ MORE: Aldi to open 180-plus stores in 2026]

Lidl, which opened its first U.S. store in 2017, has also been dogged by such issues as poor site selection, locations too large and too expensive to operate, and a lack of insight into Americans’ product preferences, reported Progressive Grocer, a sister publication of Chain Store Age. 

Lidl, which is part of Germany’s Schwarz Group, operates more than 12,000 stores, and is active in 31 countries. 

A U.K.-based global online fashion retail conglomerate is enhancing its customer service capabilities after the shopper clicks "buy."

Debenhams Group, the parent of online fashion retailers including Boohoo, BoohooMan, Debenhams, PrettyLittleThing and Karen Millen, is rolling out the Seel Worry-Free Purchase program throughout Europe, Australia, Canada, and the U.S. across all its banners.

Seel Worry-Free Purchase features extended return windows, white-glove claims support and delay protection. Through a seamless one-click integration at checkout, customers can enroll in the program. Seel then manages claims, refunds, and support, significantly operational burden on Debenhams Group's customer service infrastructure. 

"Providing our customers with an exceptional shopping experience has always been at the heart of our customer experience strategy," said Daniel Finley, group CEO at Debenhams. "Our partnership with Seel represents a transformative enhancement to our customer journey, extending our commitment to excellence beyond the checkout moment. We want to ensure every purchase, delivery, and resolution feels effortless for our shoppers." 

The Seel solution’s agentic AI-based instant claim resolution engine processes and approves claims in real-time, with the goal of delivering immediate resolution.

[READ MORE: Global fashion retailer Boohoo provides AI-based targeted offers]

"Partnering with Debenhams Group marks another exciting step toward our commitment to bring worry-free shopping to millions of customers around the globe," said Laura Huddle, Chief Revenue Officer at Seel. "We're excited to work alongside one of the UK's most iconic retailers, now operating across multiple continents, to elevate the post-purchase experience and allow consumers to buy and shop with confidence wherever they are." 

Debenhams Group is based in the U.K. and was founded in 1778.