News

Chairman of Pier I Imports to fill in as CEO
Still on the hunt for a new chief executive, Pier 1 Imports has tapped its chairman to serve in the role on an interim basis. The home furnishings and décor retailer has appointed Terry E. London, chairman of the board, to the position of interim president and CEO. His appointment takes effect on January 1, 2017, in conjunction with the planned departure of Alex W. Smith, the current president and CEO of Pier I, on December 31, 2016.
Sears Canada banks on a new category to boost sales
To inject new life into its struggling chain, Sears Canada is hopes its newest venture will lure in shoppers — especially foodies. A new partnership with two specialty supermarket operators is enabling Sears Canada to run high-end markets at dedicated locations. The chain is banking on grocery shoppers’ frequent store visits to bolster store visits, Canadian Grocer reported.

Gap exec joining parent company of Men’s Wearhouse

The new year will bring a new finance chief to Tailored Brands.
Teen apparel retailer ups the ante on store-level customer engagement

Tilly’s is making a bold move in driving omnichannel experiences in-store. Armed with Aptos’ cloud-based Singular Commerce platform, the teen apparel retailer can now integrate all omnichannel operations and data at store-level, giving users one complete view of customers, inventory, orders, and the customer’s overall path-to-purchase.
FTD names new executive VP, CFO

Stephen Tucker has been appointed as FTD Companies’ new executive VP. Tucker will also serve as CFO, replacing Becky Sheehan, who is leaving the company to pursue other opportunities. He will take on the new role as of Jan. 1, 2017.
Lowes Canada gives update on acquisition

Lowe's Canada has made some strides since it acquired RONA Inc. in May. At the time, the company had made a number of promises to RONA stakeholders, including that it would maintain RONA's multiple retail banner strategy, its local and ethical procurement strategy, and the vast majority of its employees and senior executives. It also promised to enhance distribution services to affiliate dealers, among other things.
Verizon: December weekends drive e-commerce activity

A mixed bag of activity for the second week of December indicates that weekends — and perfectly timed promotions — will make or break the remainder of holiday e-commerce sales.
Ulta Beauty CEO on company's growth and vision
Lidl’s U.S. launch gains momentum

Lidl has made bold moves this week in preparation of its upcoming United States launch. The company has acquired the site of an industrial building in Philadelphia’s Port Richmond neighborhood, which could be the chain’s first location in Philadelphia, according to philly.com.
Walmart going down to the wire for store pickup of online holiday orders

Walmart is leveraging its mighty store network to gain a competitive advantage over Amazon for last-minute holiday shoppers. The discount retailer announced Tuesday it will offer shoppers a Christmas Eve store pickup commitment for eligible orders placed online by 6 p.m. local time on Dec. 23.