OPERATIONS / SUPPLY CHAIN

Report: Target continues internal IT focus
Target Corp. is making a number of aggressive moves to become more self-reliant when it comes to IT development.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the latest move is the adoption of the DevOps software development strategy. DevOps emphasizes increased cooperation among software engineers and product deployment employees, and also focuses on agile development and testing methods.
Top retailers back Obama climate change pledge
Ikea and Best Buy are among the top retailers supporting a U.S.-sponsored pledge to act on combating climate change.

President Barack Obama met with a group of business leaders Monday at the White House to announce the signatories of the American Business Act on Climate Pledge.

"The perception is that this is an environmental issue, it's for tree-huggers, and that hard-headed business people either don't care about it or see it as a conflict with their bottom lines," Obama said.

Target starts up accelerator application process

Start-ups looking to revolutionize retail have a significant new opportunity for support.
The New Realities of Cyber Risk Management: It’s Not Just an IT Issue

Imagine you are the general counsel at a retailer involved in sensitive M&A discussions. You receive an email from one of the deal’s outside advisors. He says he needs some information about your company, the kind you’ve passed on before. You send it along — and later find that you were victimized in a sophisticated cyber-attack aimed at stealing sensitive information.
Nordstrom announces holiday hiring plans

Nordstrom plans to hire about 11,800 seasonal employees for the coming holiday season, mostly for sales and stock positions at the upscale chain and its less pricey Nordstrom Rack locations.

The retailer also plans to hire 1,600 temporary workers to support its e-commerce business at its three fulfillment centers.
Costco adds digital knowledge to its board

Costco is adding a bit of digital expertise to its ranks with its latest new board member.
Shipping in the Holiday Cheer

It’s officially fall and, for retailers, this means holiday shopping season is right around the corner. For most, the season is marked by increased sales, both on and offline, and an opportunity to tap the highly profitable demographic of holiday shoppers. Likewise, it’s a chance for merchants to explore new markets and test new locations for possible retail site development.
Report: Target converts to credit cards that contain a PIN

Target Corp. has become the first major credit card issuer to convert to cards with PINS, the Cleveland Plain Dealer reported. The new cards will be MasterCards and will contain computer chips as well as PINs.
Hackers victimize charity chain

The latest retail data breach demonstrates that hackers will victimize whoever is vulnerable.

America’s Thrift Stores, an Alabama-based, 18-store for-profit chain that sells donated items and then contributes a significant portion of the profit to local charities, has been breached. Hackers used malware to compromise the systems of a third-party service provider, which gave them access to the America’s Thrift Stores network.
Sears ‘hears’ need for better picking with Honeywell voice-directed solution

No matter how good a retailer’s seamless experience is, without the correct product it falls apart.

Sears Holding Corp. is trying to ensure the right products are picked for the right customers with new Honeywell Vocollect voice-directed picking solutions. The retailer is working with Speech Interface Design (SID) to implement the solutions in two of its regional specialty distribution centers (RSCs) and its largest retail distribution center (RDC) in the coming months.