OPERATIONS / SUPPLY CHAIN

With merger completed, design firm makes senior appointments
Callison and RTKL have officially joined forces as CallisonRTKL.

The firm announced several senior-level appointments to launch its next level of growth:

Eric Lagerberg (New York) has been named executive VP and will serve as global practice group leader for retail stores and regional director of North America for CallisonRTKL.
Barnes & Noble names a new IT leader
The instability in the executive suite at Barnes & Noble continues, as the retailer has named a new CIO just months after installing a new chief digital officer.

The retailer has named William Wood as its new CIO. Wood comes from EZCORP Inc., where he also served as chief information officer. He will report directly to Ron Boire, CEO.

Ascena Retail Group adds Michaels exec to board

The Ascena Retail Group is adding a seasoned retail CEO and a legal expert to its board of directors.

The parent company of Ann Taylor Loft, Ann and other banners announced three changes to its board of directors on Friday. Board member Klaus Eppler is retiring and Carl (“Chuck”) Rubin and Steven L. Kirshenbaum are joining the board.
COO is elevated to CEO at BJ's Wholesale Club

BJ's Wholesale Club has promoted its COO to president and chief executive officer just months after recruiting him from Hess Retail Corp.

The club retailer announced that Christopher J. Baldwin, BJ's president and chief operating officer, has been named president and CEO, succeeding Laura J. Sen, who is assuming the role of non-executive chairman. The appointment is effective Feb. 1.
Former Disney executive joins Kroger board

Kroger is adding a veteran of the consumer products industry to its board of directors.
Analysis: Walmart Pay

Although numerous players have entered the mobile payment arena in recent months, Walmart Pay is poised to be much more disruptive to the mobile payment landscape
Tech Guest Viewpoint: Actionable Analytics & the Hourly Employee

In-store analytics solutions continue to gain momentum as retailers analyze a variety of store performance measures such as shopper activity maps, display effectiveness, and customer dwell time. These analytics have provided incredible insight for corporate and store management.
Doug Tompkins, co- founder of The North Face, dies in accident

Douglas Tompkins, co-founder of The North Face and an ardent conservationist and outdoorsman, died following a kayaking accident in his adopted country of Chile. Tomkins, 72, was the co-founder of two clothing companies that would grow into multi-billion dollar enterprises. In addition to North Face, he was a co-founder, along with his wife at the time, of Esprit. “He flew airplanes, he climbed to the top of mountains all over the world,” his daughter Summer Tompkins Walker told the New York Times.
Study: Retailers face significant cyber risks

Retailers that think they have digital security under control may want to take a second look at their protocols.

According to a new study from risk predictive analytics firm Bay Dynamics, "The Pre-Holiday Retail Risk Report," a significant amount of retailers assign the same login credentials to employees and do not know if employees have leaked sensitive data.

Despite these common gaps, a majority of 125 retail IT decision-makers surveyed said they have full confidence that their sensitive information is sufficiently protected.
Ace is the place smart about space

Ace Hardware Corp. is making sure that stores contain products local shoppers want, and plenty of them.

Ace is implementing JDA space and category management solutions, including floor planning, category knowledge base, Web publisher, and assortment optimization. This mix of solutions, which will complement an existing JDA footprint that includes space planning, warehouse replenishment, and demand and fulfillment applications, will ensure that the potential of scarce inventory and space assets is maximized.