News

Denver -- Junction Solutions announced today that Pet Supplies Plus, a leading retailer of pet food, pet products and pet supplies, has selected Junction Solutions to implement Microsoft Dynamics AX for Retail to help the company standardize business processes, support its growth goals, as well as expand the business into a multichannel operation.

To achieve these goals, Pet Supplies Plus selected Junction Solutions to replace its legacy systems with Microsoft Dynamics AX for Retail.  

New York -- Brookstone said its president and CEO, James M. Speltz, has resigned. The specialty retailer appointed Steve Schwartz, the company's chief merchandising officer, to serve as interim president and CEO.

Speltz helped Brookstone emerge from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in June. Also in June,  a bankruptcy court judge approved its sale to to a consortium of Chinese investors, Sailing Innovation Inc., for $135.7 million.

Just as retailers like Walmart and Target unveil their top toy lists ahead of the holiday shopping season, Toys“R”Us has revealed its 2014 Holiday Hot Toy List. The annual list of 36 items is determined by Toys“R”Us play experts and packed with a wide range of brand new toys and games.

Austin, Texas -- Revionics announced that Niemann Foods, a chain of grocery, pet food, hardware, pharmacies and gas stations in the Midwest, has selected Revionics as its price optimization provider.

Revionics will be providing Niemann Foods with their SaaS-based price optimization solution, which includes robust price management, science-based optimization, forecasting, simulation and effectiveness measurement.

Brookstone president and CEO James M. Speltz has resigned. The product development company and specialty retailer with 240 stores in malls and airports across the U.S has appointed chief merchandising officer Steve Schwartz as interim president and CEO.  

New York – Department stores are increasingly using an omnichannel approach to meet the needs of consumers. According to the Digital IQ Index from digital intelligence provider L2, half of department stores offer shoppers a “click and collect” option, 68% allow in-store returns of online purchases, and 25% provide real-time store inventory.

Other notable findings include:

• Seventy-seven percent of department store brands offer a mobile app;

Build-A-Bear Workshop has appointed Voin Todorovic as its new CFO, reporting to CEO Sharon John.

"Voin has a solid background in linking financial goals and business objectives. I am excited to have him join the team as we continue to evolve our business model to leverage the strength of the Build-A-Bear brand to drive toward the Company’s stated objectives of sustainable, profitable growth,” said John.

By Graeme Grant, president & COO, CQuotient

Technology and the proliferation of communications channels have significantly altered the way brands and retailers approach customer engagement. What was a “nice-to-have” strategy of coordinating messages across shopping channels only three years ago is now a “sink-or-swim” requirement for merchants. Consumers engage across every touch-point and demand that retailers have an omnichannel communication approach to complement their always-connected behaviors.