News

ROCKFORD, Mich. — Wolverine Worldwide has appointed Jodi K. Watson as president of consumer direct, reporting to chairman, CEO and president Blake W. Krueger.  

In her new role, Watson will be responsible for direct-to-consumer operations for the company, including stores and e-commerce.

Watson was most recently the company’s VP of e-commerce, leading Wolverine's global digital strategy. She has served on its retail leadership team since joining the company in 2009.

The Valley Forge Shopping Center on West DeKalb Pike is adding Target to its tenant roster July 2014, making it the first Target store in the city of King of Prussia. 

The King of Prussia store will be approximately 165,000 sq. ft. and will include a selection of fresh produce, fresh packaged meat and pre-packaged baked goods, as well as a Starbucks, Target Optical and Target Pharmacy.

I recently had the chance to observe and talk with some tweens and teens about their smartphone use. You guessed it: it’s first and foremost about communicating with their friends and, yes, even with parents and other family members. Shopping runs a good second. Anyone targeting this particular age group must think of communication as a “use case” for smartphones. 

New York -- Saks Inc. on Monday reported a worse than expected second-quarter loss amid disappointing sales of shoes and handbags. 

Saks, which last month reached a deal to be acquired by Canada's Hudson's Bay Co., had a net loss of $19.6 million for the quarter ended Aug. 3, compared with a net loss of $12.3 million a year earlier.

Overall sales rose 0.5% to $707.8 million for the quarter. Same-store sales rose 1.5%, below the 4.5% increase analysts had expected.

CHICAGO — With an eye on new growth opportunities, Tommy Bahama has selected the Hybris commerce platform to improve its omnichannel commerce capabilities.

A leading retailer of island-inspired apparel and home furnishings, Tommy Bahama has seen growth in it online commerce throughout the past few years. Tommy Bahama also offers in-store kiosks, where shoppers can access a commerce channel that enables an "endless aisle" of available products —allowing shoppers to access out-of-stock or online-exclusive items directly in-store.

Park City Group, a leading consumer goods supply chain technology designed to increase sales and reduce out-of-stocks, has added private-label marketing veteran William Wolfe to its leadership team.  

Wolfe, who has more than 30 years of experience, will serve as a senior adviser, responsible for developing business solutions, consulting and expanding sales efforts in the retail channel.

PITTSBURGH — The PNC Financial Services Group has appointed Andrew Feldstein to its board of directors. Feldstein is co-founder, CEO and chief investment officer of BlueMountain Capital Management, LLC.

"Mr. Feldstein brings a reputation for innovation and additional risk management expertise to the board," said PNC executive chairman James E. Rohr. "His vision and experience should benefit PNC as we seek to grow our business and further strengthen our balance sheet."

New York -- Walmart is expanding its omni-channel integration by testing the use of lockers to fill online orders, company officials said during the chain’s second-quarter earnings call on Thursday.

“While this test is still in the early stages, the initial read on customer satisfaction and acceptance is very encouraging, with 90% of the customers who have used the service providing positive feedback,” Walmart U.S. CEO Bill Simon said during the call.