OPERATIONS / SUPPLY CHAIN

Toronto -- Sears Financial has launched an online points redemption system for its five million plus card members, making it one of the first major retail loyalty programs in Canada to do so.

Toronto -- Canadian Tire Corp. has been honored with the Globe Award for Best Green Retailing Practices. The award is presented to the company that has demonstrated excellence in executing end-to-end sustainable practices and has made measurable environmental performance improvements to its retail operations.

New York -- The CEO of Sears Holdings Corp., Louis D'Ambrosio, received a compensation package in 2011 whose value was put at $9.9 million, according to a proxy statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

D'Ambrosio joined the company in February 2011. He received a base salary of $931,000. His stock awards totaled $8 million and his bonus was $150,000.

Columbia, Md. -- Micros Systems, a provider of information technology solutions for the hospitality and retail industries, has partnered with yogurt retailer Pinkberry to implement Google Wallet. The system, which allows Pinkberry customers to tap their device on an NFC (Near Field Communications) reader to quickly make their purchase and simultaneously redeem coupons and receive discounts, is now live in 69 Pinkberry locations in the United States.

New York -- The average gift card dollar volume growth on a year-over-year basis increased 10% during the last six months of 2011, with consumers shopping earlier in the holiday season for prepaid cards and adding more value to their purchases than in 2010, according to a study by First Data Corp.

Newport Beach, Calif. -- K3 Retail, the U.K.’s largest provider of solutions based on Microsoft Dynamics, has formed an alliance with JustEnough Software, a leading provider of demand management solutions, to help retailers more effectively plan financials, assortments, markdowns, promotions and allocations with flexibility, accuracy and ease.

New York -- During the 2011 holiday season, the top retail apps and websites combined — Amazon, Best Buy, eBay, Target and Walmart — reached nearly 60 % of smartphone owners, according to Nielsen.

“The majority of smartphone owners used their devices for shopping this past holiday season,” said John Burbank, president of strategic initiatives at Nielsen. “Mobile shopping has reached scale and is only going to grow as smartphone penetration continues to rise.”

Austin, Texas -- Target Corp., Costco Wholesale Corp., Safeway, Gap Inc. and Whole Foods Market are among 15 retailers recognized on the Ethisphere Institute's 2012 "World's Most Ethical Companies" list. The other retailers honored were Starbucks Coffee Co., Patagonia, Wegmans, Marks and Spencer, Best Buy, eBay, Timberland, Office Max, Petco, and Ten Thousand Villages.