News

HRC: Discounter tops with Gen Z for back-to-school shopping
Gen Z shoppers are gearing up to hit the stores for back-to-school purchases — and their top destination is Walmart. Thirty-six percent of boys and girls cite Walmart as their first choice for back-to-school shopping, more than double that of any other retailer, according to a survey conducted by strategic retail advisory firm HRC Retail Advisory.
Online apparel brand with big following to open flagship
A clothing brand know for its "radical transparency" is putting down roots in its hometown. Everlane will open its first permanent brick-and-mortar location, in San Francisco. The opening date hasn't been announced yet, but the company has posted a variety of available jobs, including "flagship store leader," on its website. The storefront, on Valencia Street in the city's Mission District, is already identified with the brand's "100% Human" tagline.

Dunkin' Brands exec joins rapidly expanding restaurant chain

An industry veteran has been tapped to lead operations at of the nation's fastest-growing fast-casual restaurant companies. Mod Super Fast Pizza Holdings has appointed Paul Twohig to the new role of COO, effective immediately. The appointment comes as the company continues its rapid expansion in the United States and abroad. With Twohig’s arrival, Chris Schultz, former senior VP of operations, will take on the new role of senior VP, international to lead Mod’s development abroad.
Drug chain names new finance chief

Fred's named Jason Jenne as executive VP and CFO. He will replace outgoing CFO Rick Hans, who is leaving to pursue other opportunities. Hans will stay onboard as an advisor until August 18, to ensure a smooth transition.
Online giant quietly launches meal kits

Amazon isn’t wasting any time in entering the booming meal kit category.
West Elm marks another first

On the heels of opening its first location in Arizona, West Elm is entering a new state. The home furnishings retailer, a division of Williams-Sonoma, will open its first store in Maine, in the historic Old Port district of Portland. The 12,000 sq. ft. location will open its doors on Thursday, July 27.
Amazon adds a shoppable “Spark” to Prime

Amazon Prime is getting more social as the online giant looks for yet more ways to entice shoppers to buy. On Wednesday, the online giant launched Amazon Spark, a new shoppable social media feed for its Prime members. Described as “a place to discover things from people who share your interests,” Spark will help Prime users discover — and shop for -- merchandise found across followers’ stories and ideas, according to Amazon’s website.
Target CEO: Hispanics are shopping less

An important demographic for many retailers appears to be staying home more these days. In remarks at Fortune’s Brainstorm Tech Conference in Aspen, Colorado, Target CEO Brian Cornell cited an 11% dip in shopping activity among Hispanic consumers in the past several months. (A Target spokesman said later he was referencing industrywide data from the NPD Group, The Star-Tribune reported.) “There’s almost a cocooning factor,” Cornell said.
Study: The most sought-after roles to transform operations are…

Businesses are eager to better serve their clients, but most lack the skills, processes and technology needed to leverage data effectively. In fact, 61% of U.S. companies agree that inaccurate data is undermining their ability to provide an excellent customer experience, according to “Investing in Digital Transformation: The Year’s Most Sought-After Data Roles,” a report from Experian Data Quality.
Home goods retailer inspires shoppers through AI, social media

West Elm is upping the ante on how it recommends merchandise to customers. The company, a division of Williams-Sonoma, introduced a new online tool that utilizes artificial intelligence (AI) to detect customers’ style patterns and connect them with products they can buy at West Elm stores and online. Called the Pinterest Style Finder, the tool is powered by Clarifai’s image and video recognition AI technology.
Pizza giant launches aggressive hiring spree

Pizza Hut is making big moves to improve the accuracy and reliability of its delivery experience. The subsidiary of Yum! Brands plans to hire nearly 3,000 new drivers a month through the end of the year. The hiring effort, which will include full and part-time positions, will add approximately 14,000 new drivers across its delivery fleet, according to the company.
Off-price giant details new store concept

The TJX Companies will debut a new, off-price home store concept in August. HomeSense will open its initial U.S. location on August 17, in Framingham, Mass. Three additional stores are planned by the end of 2017, with locations in East Hanover, N.J., Ocean Township, N.J., and Westwood, Mass.