News

Grocers get in on omnichannel action
The ability to create an integrated and personalized user experience across all channels is the promise of a new omnichannel grocery solution from Grid Dynamics.

With the supermarket world evolving rapidly and shoppers demanding increased integration between physical and digital, Grid Dynamics released its Omnichannel Grocery Platform as an extension of the SAP hybris ecosystem of solutions. Citing statistics from BI Intelligence, Grid Dynamics said 3.3% of current U.S. grocery spending is online and that figure is projected to increase to 20% by 2018.
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

Unilever and Sam's Club team up for dads

Unilever is trying to grow sales of men’s skin care products by targeting fathers with innovative workshops at Sam’s Club.

Dove Men+Care and Family First's national nonprofit fatherhood program, All Pro Dad, will present All Pro Dad in-Club interactive workshops at 60 Sam's Clubs in the Top 30 markets across the country on Jan. 17.
Wet Seal files Chapter 11

Foothill Ranch, Calif. – In a move that was somewhat expected, The Wet Seal Inc. has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The move comes a week after the struggling teen retailer said it was closing 338 of its stores, leaving it with approximately 173 stores nationwide.

“After careful consideration, the Board of Directors unanimously concluded that filing for Chapter 11 was the appropriate course of action for the Company,” said CEO Ed Thomas.
Roundy’s to open five stores in 2015; expects operating loss

Milwaukee – Roundy’s Inc. expects to open five new stores in fiscal 2015, including one in the first quarter. However, the grocery chain also said it expects earnings per diluted share from continuing operations of flat to -$0.05 in the first quarter and a net loss of $0.07 to $0.18 per share in the fiscal year.
Consumer sentiment in January hits 11-year high

New York -- Consumers are feeling bullish, buoyed by low gas prices and an improving job market. The University of Michigan preliminary consumer sentiment index for January rose to an 11-year high of 98.2, from a final reading of 93.6 for December.
Omnichannel retailers get TIPP from standards group

Inventory visibility is a prerequisite for retailers executing omnichannel strategies, which is why RFID is enjoying a resurgence and something called the Tagged Item Performance Protocol holds great promise.

Inventory visibility has always been important in retail, but never more so than today when retailers of all types are looking to execute omnichannel strategies that involve ship from store and return to store capabilities. Omnichannel creates all sorts of new supply chain challenges that make it more difficult to keep tabs on inventory.
Operation ‘FuelCall’ underway at AAFES installations

The Army & Air Force Exchange Service is making it easier for disabled veterans to buy gas at 370 of its stores worldwide thanks to a full-service initiative called FuelCall.
Analysis: Target's Canadian Lessons

In reviewing Target’s troubled expansion into Canada, Kantar Retail breaks down the misfires into a finance-operations model:

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Belk streamlines workforce management with Reflexis

Charlotte, N.C. – The store is still the center of profit, and Belk Inc. is focusing on increased control, efficiency and visibility of workforce activities to maximize that profit. Belk has implemented Reflexis Workforce Manager, Reflexis Time & Attendance, Reflexis Task Manager, and Reflexis Advanced Analytics & Reporting to streamline corporate-to-store communication, track completion status of important tasks and projects, increase labor efficiency, reduce costs, and comply with complex labor laws.