OPERATIONS / SUPPLY CHAIN

Washington Spotlight
Later this week, the nomination of Alexander Acosta to be the next Secretary of Labor will likely be voted out of the Senate HELP Committee and head for confirmation on the Senate floor. The administration made headlines just prior to his confirmation hearings outlining cuts to the Department of Labor budget in the neighborhood of $2.5 Billion or roughly 20%.
Sportswear retailer streamlines trade operations in China
Adidas Group wants to kick off its expansion in China on the right foot. The sportswear brand plans to bolster its retail sales network to 12,000 outlets in China by 2020, with much of the growth slated for smaller cities. However, the company also knows that conducting international trade within China can be difficult and complex due to challenges presented by huge import and export volume, and minimal advance notice of regulatory changes.

Report says vendors starting to pull back from Sears

In the wake of mounting losses and increasing doubts about its viability, Sears Holding Corp. is facing pull back from some of its vendors. That is according to a report by Reuters, which said that suppliers to Sears are becoming more defensive to protect themselves from the risk of nonpayment by doing such things as reducing shipments and asking for better payment terms.
Five changes Macy’s incoming CEO wants to make in the stores

Jeff Gennette, who is set to take the reins of Macy’s Inc. from longtime chief executive Terry Lundgren in approximately one week, gave some hints of how Macy’s store experience is likely to evolve.
Office supply retailer exits Australia, New Zealand

In a move that will help it focus on its North American stores, Staples is selling its Australia- and New Zealand-based operations. Staples announced Tuesday, March 13, that private equity firm Platinum Equity will acquire these stores for an undisclosed sum. The transaction is expected to close in the second calendar quarter of 2017.
Commentary: Retailers need to join forces to solve patent troll problem

Diane K. Lettelleir, senior managing counsel of JCPenney Corp., discusses why retailers can’t wait for the government to solve the patent troll problem in the commentary below: JCPenney and numerous other retailers have been hunted for the last decade by patent trolls that aggressively file suits based on overly broad claims in patents against related but distinct technologies. JCPenney alone has endured dozens of patent troll lawsuits over this period.
Report: New leaping robot can 'Handle' up to 100 lbs.
Report: Virginia is first state to legally support robot delivery traffic

Virginia’s new law is a coup for robotics. The commonwealth is the first state to pass legislation allowing delivery robots to operate on sidewalks and crosswalks across the state, according to ReCode.
Report: Online retailer seems to be unraveling

JackThreads is the latest company seeking help to stay afloat. The online men’s retailer has cut its staff down to a skeleton crew with mass layoffs over the past two weeks, and is on the hunt for a buyer, according to Fortune.
L.L. Bean may give the boot to free shipping

L.L. Bean is in a cost-cutting mode. The company, which is evaluating all aspects of its business, is offering early retirement incentives (it hopes to trim about 500 positions), freezing pensions and taking a “hard look” at its free shipping and generous re-turns policy, the Associated Press reported.