OPERATIONS / SUPPLY CHAIN

Study: Holiday shoppers have return preferences
Retailers seeking to make the holiday return process as pleasant as possible need to offer a few specific features.

According to a new post-holiday study of 500 adult U.S. consumers from location-based mobile platform provider Retale, 24% of those surveyed stated that they are likely to return or exchange at least one of the presents that they received this holiday season.
SPS adds to omnichannel toolbox with acquisition
SPS Commerce Inc., a provider of cloud-based retail supply chain management solutions, is recognizing the need for back-end unification of supply chain and store.

SPS has acquired ToolBox Solutions, a Toronto-based provider of POS analytics and category management services to retailers and CPG suppliers in North America.

Former Walmart exec named head merchant at The Fresh Market

The Fresh Market is turning to a veteran of Walmart, Stop & Shop and Food Lion to help the struggling food retailer boost sales.
Creating an Effective Process for Returns in Omnichannel Retail

With the major selling holidays now behind us, retailers are preparing to handle the onslaught of returns that began on Dec. 26 and continue well into the first few weeks of the New Year.

In fact, according to the National Retail Federation’s “2014 Consumer Returns in the Retail Industry,” the amount of holiday merchandise returned to stores last year amounted to $68.9 billion.
Former Home Depot exec named CFO at Hancock Fabrics

Rebecca Flick has joined Hancock Fabrics, a struggling operator of 260 stores, as CFO after spending 14 years early in her finance career with the Home Depot.

Flick was named CFO effective Jan. 4, to fill a position that had been held on an interim basis since August 2015 by O. Pierce Crockett, Hankcock’s divisional VP and controller. Crockett stepped in to lead the finance group after James Brown resigned as CFO after holding the post for less than two years.
NRF says these are the people shaping retail’s future

Lists are a good way to start a debate, depending on who is included or left off, and that is sure to be the case with a newly released compilation of the 25 individuals the National Retail Federation Foundation has included on the 2016’s List of People Shaping Retail’s Future.
Fashioning a Winning Strategy: The Top 5 Trends for Apparel Retailers in 2016

The resounding priority among retailers has been accelerating their integrated omnichannel offering – which has meant everything from merging online and store teams to measuring the in-store impact of digital campaigns. Recent innovations include mobile app and in-store technologies, multichannel fulfillment solutions, and coordinated cross-channel promotions. These kinds of initiatives will continue to be top of mind in 2016, particularly as consumer expectation for a seamless and personalized experience – and deep discounts – continues to grow.
Lowe’s enter home security business

Lowe’s Iris brand smart home solution is gaining new security functionality for those customers willing to pay a monthly fee.
What Best Buy will be looking for at CES

The massive consumer technology show known as CES is underway in Las Vegas and retailers in attendance will trolling an area of the 2.4 million-sq.-ft. show floor called Eureka Park in hopes of finding the next big thing.
Target names HR exec to lead stores

Janna Potts has been named chief stores officer at Target, filling a position occupied for the past five years by Tina Tyler.

Target elevated Potts to the role of executive VP and chief stores officer, reporting to COO John Mulligan, after she previously served as senior VP of human resources focused on stores and distribution. Potts is a Target veteran who joined the company’s former Mervyn’s division in 1989. During her 27 year career she held leadership roles in stores, operations and human resources, according to the company.