News

The commerce technology and marketing arm of eBay has a new president. Craig Hayman, a 15-year veteran of IBM, has been named the head of eBay enterprise.

“Technology continues to have a significant impact on the overall commerce landscape,” eBay’s President and CEO John Donahoe said. “Craig’s experience will enhance our ability to serve retailers and brands in this online to offine world.”

By Adam Blake, VP and General Manager, Department and Specialty Retail, NCR

As the key cog in the wheel of a retail chain’s financial structure, today’s retail CFOs find themselves caught in the crosshairs of senior management and stakeholders demanding maximum profit and measurable growth amid increased consolidation and tightened revenues.

But that’s nothing new. Financial chiefs have always had to balance profit and loss with expansion strategies.

Bentonville, Ark. - Sam’s Club is launching Sam’s Club Travel, a savings-centered online booking service for business and leisure travel needs of Sam’s Club members. The new digital service is a collaboration with wholesale travel services provider Tourico Holidays.

▲ Data breaches are on the rise: Mounting an attack on retail systems has become increasingly attractive to attackers because malware can be delivered at very low cost, according to Mark Bower, VP product management and solutions, Voltage Security, a Cupertino, California, provider of data-centric encryption and tokenization.

“So it becomes very attractive to attackers to try and steal credit card and personal data they can monetize very quickly,” he added.

As to the role of a financial chief, “the CFO has the responsibility to look at overall r

After 24 years of patchwork-style growth, Wild Wing Cafe is getting serious about expansion. The chain has debuted its first-ever prototype design and, true to the brand’s roots, live entertainment is critical to the format. From the low-rise stage equipped with a special VIP entrance for musicians to an oversized video wall comprised of more than 20 screens, Wild Wing Cafe takes its motto — “Where Great Food Rocks” — seriously.

▲ Investing in energy conservation makes business sense: According to ASHRAE, energy is the second highest retailer operating expense. A new white paper by the Retail Leaders Industry Association (RILA) and Schneider Electric notes that recent weather extremes have increased energy costs for retailers, and the trend is expected to continue. Factor in potential electricity price increases in the near future, and increases in energy costs could be significant.

Staples is getting a head start on back-to-school season, launching a price match program starting June 29.
 
Staples announced Tuesday that it would match a competitor’s price — including prices on Amazon and any retailer with both online and brick-and-mortar stores — on any items sold in Staples stores or on Staples.com. Customers will then receive 10% off the difference.