OPERATIONS / SUPPLY CHAIN

New York City -- The Conference Board reported Wednesday that U.S. households are expected to spend an average of $497 on gifts this holiday season. Just 7% of consumers said they plan to spend more on holiday gifts this year, while approximately 40% plan on spending less than last year.

Philadelphia -- Urban Outfitters Inc. announced a series of management changes across all its brands, including naming David W. McCreight to the new position of CEO, Anthropologie Group, effective Nov. 15.

McCreight, 48, most recently served as president of Under Armour, from 2008 until 2010. Prior to that, he was president of Lands' End from 2005 to 2008.

Toronto -- Sears Canada announced the debut of a Wish Book application for iPad, allowing thousands of items to be viewed, added to Wish Lists or purchased with the tap of the finger on the iPad.

The application also includes a built-in gift list organizer to manage holiday gift giving and shopping. 

Sears Wish Book iPad application is available for download via the Apple iTunes App Store.
 

Seattle -- Online jewelry retailer Blue Nile announced that CEO Diane Irvine has resigned from the company, effective Nov. 11.

Vijay Talwar, senior VP and general manager of international, has been appointed interim CEO. During the transition period, chairman Mark Vadon will take an active role in the leadership of the company, working closely with Talwar. Vadon will also lead the search for a permanent CEO.
 

Armonk, N.Y. -- IBM announced that AutoTrader.com, a leading online automotive marketplace, is using IBM technology for Smarter Commerce as part of its electronic sales order system to simplify and accelerate the ordering experience for its dealer and manufacturer customers.

New York City -- Barnes & Noble took the wraps off its Nook Tablet, a $249 tablet for reading e-books, streaming movies and browsing the web. The new tablet, which is lighter and faster than other Nook devices, offers access to popular apps including Netflix, Hulu Plus and Pandora.

Barnes & Noble also on Monday reduced the entry-level price for its Nook line of digital readers to $99.

Atlanta -- Mobile commerce enabler Firethorn Mobile Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Qualcomm Inc., and Brookstone announced Brookstone as its latest retail partner for its Swagg mobile application, which provides shoppers with mobile access to purchase digital gift cards. Mobile shoppers also can receive special offers and manage customer loyalty programs through the app. 

Boston -- AisleBuyer and Big Y Foods announced a partnership to provide Big Y’s customers with a mobile application for iPhone and Android devices that seeks to deliver a new level of customer service and empowerment.