OPERATIONS / SUPPLY CHAIN

Tigard, Ore. -- Regional sports dealer Brand Athletics said Thursday it will operate solely under the name Lids Team Sports, a division of Indianapolis-based Lids Sports Group. Lids acquired Brand Athletics in 2010.

The Lids Sports Group, operating within Genesco subsidiary Hat World, is comprised of the Lids retail headwear stores, the Lids Locker Room specialty fan retail chain, the Lids Clubhouse retail stores, the Lids Team Sports wholesale team sports business and its Internet businesses.
 

Indianapolis -- More than half of U.S. consumers who’ve made at least one purchase on their smartphone have done so based on a marketing message delivered via mobile email, according to a new study by ExactTarget.

While calling, texting and emailing remain the most frequent daily activities for smartphone users, the study found consumers are increasingly using their smartphones for more than the basics.


Key findings of the research include:

Bentonville, Ark. -- Wal-Mart Stores is cutting gas prices by 10-cents a gallon for three months to help consumers worried about their spending amid a sputtering economy and busy summer travel season. The chain said that customers visiting participating Murphy USA and Walmart gas stations in 18 states through Sept. 30 will receive a discount on all fuel, gas and diesel purchases when they use a reloadable Walmart gift card, Walmart MoneyCard or a Walmart credit card.

New York City -- Many retailers are not satisfied with their ability to meet customer expectations for a seamless cross-channel experience, according to a survey conducted by Edge Research for Sterling Commerce, an IBM company.

The survey revealed several significant gaps between what consumers want and what retailers are currently delivering. A retailer’s ability to meet consumer expectations -- and deliver a seamless, cross-channel experience -- will be the deciding factor in their ability to survive in the age of the empowered consumer.

Leveraging the social and mobile channels to present a unified cross-channel experience is one of the keys to maximizing online holiday sales this year, according to the IBM Coremetrics Fourth Annual Online Retail Holiday Readiness Report.

New York City -- Retailers lost $37.14 billion to theft last year, or 1.58% of retail sales, up from 1.44% in 2009, according to preliminary results of the National Retail Security Survey. The annual survey is conducted by the University of Florida for the National Retail Federation, with funding from ADT Commercial.

As in previous years, employee theft accounted for the largest (approximately 44%) portion of the losses. Shoplifting and organized retail crime was second, with 33%. Administrative errors, vendor fraud and unknown causes make up the rest.

Livermore, Calif. -- Epicor Software Corp. said Tuesday that Johnny Mac’s Sporting Goods is upgrading to the Epicor Eagle˙ point-of-sale and retail business management solution to help run its eight-store chain.

Salisbury, N.C. -- Grocery chain Bloom said Tuesday it has introduced a free iPhone application that will allow its customers to access weekly specials, search recipes, manage shopping lists and find their nearest Bloom.

"At Bloom, we look for opportunities to leverage technology to enhance our guests shopping experience," said Tammy DeBoer, VP of Bloom. "This new mobile application, from Mercatus, is user-friendly and makes it easy for our shoppers to connect with us and plan family meals."