OPERATIONS / SUPPLY CHAIN

Innovative Ways to Overcome Holiday Workplace Liabilities With Contractors and Temp Employees
For a variety of retailers – from supermarkets, to restaurants, to department and convenience stores – the holiday shopping season represents the peak time of year for staffing up on temporary workers to help meet all of the increase in consumer demand. However, the need to staff up may be even greater this year as some companies have already been operating with limited capacity given the nation-wide labor shortage.
Best Buy receives award from Office Depot
Office Depot and Best Buy are intense competitors in many categories, but that didn’t stop the former from recognizing the latter’s sustainable purchasing practices.

Office Depot recently held its Eighth Annual Leadership in Greener Purchasing Awards ceremony in Denver alongside the International Facilities Management Association (IFMA) World Workplace Conference & Expo.

DSW promotes CIO to new CEO

DSW Inc. has promoted its omnichannel retailing chief to be its new CEO as the company positions itself for long-term growth.

The company said Roger L. Rawlins, executive VP and CIO, will succeed Michael R. MacDonald as CEO effective Jan. 1. MacDonald, who is retiring from DSW and from the board of directors, will remain with the company through the end of the year to help ensure a smooth transition. Rawlins will be appointed to the DSW board effective Jan. 1.
Unwrapping Holiday Hiring

For retailers, a diligent and detailed vetting of applicants — including employment verifications, thorough interviews and comprehensive background checks — should be a standard part of any responsible hiring and candidate review process. At the best of times, this process can be a complex and time-consuming endeavor. When retailers are looking to hire temporary or part-time seasonal help, especially for the holidays, the degree of difficulty goes up significantly.
Tech Guest Viewpoint: ‘Tis the Season to Get Interactive

In preparation for the holiday rush, retailers have begun the timely process of interviewing, hiring and training seasonal employees.
Sam’s Club elevates focus on food with merchant moves

Veteran Safeway merchant Toby Noiles has joined Sam’s Club in a senior role as the warehouse club operator creates a new organizational structure for its food and beverage business.

Noiles was named senior VP and general merchandise manager of grocery and beverage and joins Sam’s Club from the online grocery delivery company Fresh Direct where she served as chief merchandising officer. Noiles was with Fresh Direct only seven months but prior to that she spent 29 years with Safeway and held a wide range of merchandising roles.
Famed outdoors retailer names new CEO

L.L. Bean has gone outside the company for the first time ever to pick a chief executive. The outdoors retailer named the chief merchandising and marketing officer of a Walmart-owned Chinese e-commerce business as president and CEO, effective Feburary 2016. [ABC News]
Walmart exec assumes COO spot at Brookdale

The top executive over Health and Wellness of Walmart's U.S. division is leaving to join Brookdale Senior Living as its COO.

Labeed Diab will have responsibility for all aspects of Brookdale’s operations, including community and field operations, marketing and sales.
Amazon makes ultimate omnichannel move

Amazon’s first permanent physical store has opened in its hometown of Seattle and guess what? It looks a lot like the bookstores whose demise it facilitated.

In a letter to customers, the retailer announced the opening of the store located at 4601 26th Avenue NE in Seattle’s University Village on Tuesday, Nov. 3.
Levi Strauss makes inventory connection

Levi Strauss & Co. is turning to the Internet of Things (IoT) as a solution to improve inventory visibility.

Levi’s is partnering with Intel to run a proof-of-concept of the new Intel IoT platform at three of the vertical apparel retailer’s stores. The pilot allows the Levi’s stores to gain visibility into what’s on the shelf or what might be running low. The goal is to make the process of inventory management more effective, maximizing in-stock and on-shelf availability of products.