OPERATIONS / SUPPLY CHAIN

Job-seekers out in full force for online giant's multi-state job fair
Thousands nationwide turned out Wednesday for the chance to join Amazon’s growing workforce. The online giant hosted a multi-state job fair on Aug. 2, focused on hiring full-time and part-time associates for positions across nearly a dozen of its U.S.-based warehouses. The event had such a massive turnout that Amazon said it received "a record-breaking 20,000 applications,” according to CNBC. This is almost half of the 50,000 roles the company says it has available across its fulfillment network.
Regional furniture retailer modernizes front-end
City Furniture sales associates are moving away from the cashwrap, and completing transactions directly on the show floor.

Q&A: Boxed co-founder talks about machine learning

Driven by the need “to solve problems for its shoppers,” Boxed is about to make it easier than ever for customers to reorder merchandise — without even having to think about it.
Visa program streamlines global QR code payment adoption

A new service is helping retailers adhere to newly introduced interoperability standards related to QR code-based payments. In a move to standardize emerging cashless payments, EMVCo, the global technical body that manages the EMV Specifications, released new global QR Code Payment standards — a move that will allow retailers to process mobile payments made through the two-dimensional machine-readable barcodes. Visa and the other EMVCo members worked to develop these new globally interoperable EMV specifications.
GameStop does an about-face on Thanksgiving

It's only July, but GameStop has jumped into the ongoing debate about whether stores should be open on Thanksgiving Day. After keeping its stores closed on Thanksgiving for the past three years, the retailer has told its employees that stores will be open for this year's holiday. The change was first reported by gaming website Kotaku.
The Rush to Deploy the Latest In-Store Technology is Compromising IT Security

Digital transformation is accelerating the pace of change within the store environment.
Discounter adds new hiring academy

Walmart is making good on its promise to open 200 learning centers by year’s end. The discounter is planning to open another employee training academy. The new location, which will be in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, is expected to open by end of 2017, according to the Argus Leader, a division of USA Today.
Study: Majority of retailers feel 'vulnerable' to a data breach

While the number of cyber-attacks have declined in the last year, a majority of companies still feel susceptible to data threats. This was according to the “2017 Thales Data Threat Report, Retail Edition,” from Thales e-Security and analyst firm 451 Research. The study is based on responses from more than 1100 senior security executives, including in the retail segment, from across the globe.
Lifeway’s merchandising gets a new plan

Lifeway Christian Stores’ shoppers’ needs differ from store-to-store — a factor that pushed the chain to revamp its merchandising processes. For the specialty retailer, this has meant pursuing macro- and micro-localization strategies. From the macro level, the company still wanted to manage assortments that deliver a consistent brand experience – not only in terms of the products offered, but also in how they are stocked and presented.
Best Buy to restructure its tech army

Best Buy's Geek Squad is undergoing some changes. The consumer electronics retailer is eliminating about 400 Geek Squad positions, the StarTribune reported. The affected jobs are on the Geek Squad’s covert team, employees who mostly work from their own homes to provide remote technical support. The work will be outsourced to a third party, according to the report.