News

By Greg Caster, managing director, Accenture Retail

Most incoming CEO’s put together a ‘100-day plan’ as they embark on the new role. In the case of Mr. Ullman, it is his second 100-day plan at J.C. Penney. But the world and company is very different from December 2004 when he wrote his first plan, and this one will be written in the knowledge that he is the interim CEO for a company in crisis.

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Dematic, a global supplier of logistics systems for factories, warehouses and distribution centers, announced that Jay Leno will be the keynote speaker at the 2013 Material Handling & Logistics Conference in Park City, Utah, Sept. 8 to 11.

Plano, Texas — Crossmark, a leading sales and marketing services company, has appointed Jim Rose as president of marketing services. 

The company sees the addition of Rose to its leadership team as a significant step toward bolstering its strong position and expertise in marketing services.

“We are excited to have Jim join our team to lead the further development and integration of marketing services that deliver value and growth for our clients,” said CEO Joe Crafton.

Montreal -- Jesta I.S. said Monday it has expanded its relationship with Canadian shoe store operator Town Shoes, parent to the Sterling Shoes, Shoe Warehouse and Freedman Shoes banners, to include the implementation of the multichannel order management capabilities delivered by Vision E-DOM.

In deciding to implement Jesta I.S., Town Shoes will further leverage its existing IT infrastructure, at the backbone of which are Vision’s foundational Merchandising ERP and POS systems.

SAN FRANCISCO — San Francisco attorney Dennis Herrera has launched a lawsuit against Monster Beverage Corporation for violating California law with its marketing of highly caffeinated energy drinks to children as young as six years old, despite scientific findings that such products may cause "significant morbidity in adolescents" from elevated blood pressure, brain seizures and severe cardiac events.

New York -- North American consumers opened their wallets in the first quarter of 2013 and exhibited a desire to spend again, although they remain cautious, according to the Nielsen Global Survey of Consumer Confidence and Spending Intentions. Forty-two percent said they plan to spend on discretionary items this year, a six-point rise from fourth quarter 2012, and up from the average of 33% over the past three years.

Ace Hardware and the Weather Channel have announced the launch of “Restore Your Outdoors,” which pairs Ace's service with the local weather knowledge from The Weather Channel. 

As part of this program, homeowners from across the country can enter for a chance to win $15,000 in Ace gift cards. In addition to the sweepstakes, Ace’s alliance with The Weather Channel provides homeowners with tips and tools to complete their outdoor home maintenance tasks.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Pamela G. Bailey, president and CEO of the Grocery Manufacturers Association, has announced the addition of two new directors to the association’s federal affairs staff, Nancy Kohler and David Prestwood.