News

Sears announces another closing — but this one doesn’t involve stores
Sears Holdings will shutter its apparel design office in New York City.

The struggling retailer will shutter the 154-employee office in July, reported the New York Post, which cited a Department of Labor filing.

Sears will move approximately 40 positions to an existing site in San Francisco, with the remainder positions to be cut, according to the report.
Office Depot earnings, sales derailed by stalled Staples merger
Office Depot put the blame for disappointing first-quarter financial results on its delayed buyout by Staples.

"The protracted regulatory review of the pending Staples acquisition continues to have a substantial disruptive impact on our business," stated Roland Smith, chairman and CEO, Office Depot. “Our North American Business Solutions Division and International Division are more impacted by this disruption and accordingly, both failed to meet our sales and profit expectations this quarter.”

Study: Retailers gaining cybersecurity confidence

More retailers are suffering data breaches, but the industry is also feeling an increased level of capability to deal with them.

According to a new study of more than 200 IT professionals from security technology provider Tripwire Inc., 33% of retailers say they have experienced a breach where intruders stole or gained access to personally identifiable information, This is more than double the 14% who had experienced this type of breach in 2014.
RadioShack taps retail veteran as CEO

RadioShack has named a new CEO with retail turnaround and transformation experience.

Dene Rogers will join the company as president and CEO on May 9, 2016. Rogers, who will also serve on RadioShack’s board, previously served as CEO of Target Australia and CEO of Sears Canada, which he led to become Canada’s most profitable online retailer, according to RadioShack.

At RadioShack, Rogers replaces CFO Gordon Briscoe, who has been interim CEO since January when Ron Garriques left the post after serving less than a year.
Amazon expands restaurant delivery service, adds price match

More consumers can now order takeout food from Amazon.com, and rest assured they are paying a competitive price.

Amazon is making one-hour delivery from 117 different local restaurants available to Prime Now customers in 33 ZIP codes across the San Francisco market. Using the Prime Now mobile app, San Francisco customers can view participating restaurants, browse menus, place orders, track the status of their delivery, and watch as their driver travels from the restaurant to the delivery address in real time.
Survey: Payments come of age

Payments are no longer a means to an end for accepting money and finalizing a transaction.

According to a new global survey of senior retail executives responsible for payments strategy and/or payments IT strategy from payments company ACI Worldwide and technology analyst firm Ovum, “2016 Global Payments Insight Survey: Merchants and Retailers,” up to 81% of retailers view payments as a clear part of their business strategy.
T-Mobile in big push to open stores

Wireless provider T-Mobile is launching a major retail expansion drive this year.

The company plans to open 400 of its own branded stores this year, according to a report by Fortune.

“We always just follow what the customer really wants,” T-Mobile’s chief operating officer Mike Sievert told Fortune, and customers, he added, have been “very clear” that “they prefer to do business at a fully branded store.”
Former Family Dollar CFO joins Supervalu board

Supervalu on Monday announced that experienced financial executive and corporate board member Mary Winston has been appointed to Supervalu's board of directors effective April 27, 2016.
SuperValu beats Q4 profit; sales fall at Save-A-Lot

SuperValu Inc. on Tuesday reported fiscal fourth-quarter profit that beat expectations. But in a setback to plans to spin-off its deep-discount banner, same-store sales fell 2.2% at Save-A-Lot.

SuperValu earnings in the quarter increased to $52 million, or 20 cents a share, up from $39 million, or 14 cents a share, a year earlier. Excluding debt refinancing, store closures and expenses related to the potential Save-A-Lot spinoff, adjusted per-share earnings rose to 23 cents.
1-800-Flowers gives customers a voice — via Amazon

1-800-Flowers.com is partnering with Amazon.com to make the digital ordering process even easier.

The specialty floral gift retailer will allow customers to place orders using the Amazon Alexa voice-activated artificial intelligence platform via the Amazon Echo, Echo Dot and Tap smart home devices and Fire TV streaming media player. 1-800-Flowers shoppers will be able to give Alexa basic ordering instructions, and the retailer will then process the order and arrange delivery.