OPERATIONS / SUPPLY CHAIN

Vitamin Shoppe names Toys ‘R’ Us vet as general counsel
North Bergen. N.J. - Vitamin Shoppe Inc. hired David M. Kastin as senior VP, general counsel and corporate secretary effective Aug. 17. Kastin will be responsible for overseeing all internal and external legal matters of the company and will serve as corporate secretary to Vitamin Shoppe's board of directors.
Walmart takes a White House pledge
New York -- Walmart has joined an elite group of corporate titans in taking a pledge to fight climate change. Among other things, the retail giant will double its solar commitment.

Walmart on Monday signed a pledge to take measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, increase low-carbon investments and invest in clean energy as part of a new White House climate change initiative, the “American Business Act on Climate Pledge.”

Survey highlights top obstacles to EMV readiness

Atlanta -- A sizeable number of businesses won’t meet the EMV transition deadline, according to a survey by Randstad Technologies.
99 Cents Stores names Wal-Mart grocery VP as merchandising head

City of Commerce, Calif. - 99 Cents Only Stores LLC has named Jack L. Sinclair as chief merchandising officer. Sinclair will be responsible for merchandising and marketing functions.
eBay continues to clean house

New York -- In its latest round of housecleaning, eBay is killing same-day deliveries and three mobile apps.

The company on Monday said it is shutting down eBay Now, a three-year-old service that allows customers to buy items from local sellers and then have the goods delivered as soon as the same day. The service, the company’s answer to the fast-growing on-demand delivery market, never really took off.
Worthy.com names financial tech expert as COO

New York – Worthy.com, an online marketplace for used luxury goods, has named Gil Gadot as executive VP and COO.

Gadot joins Worthy with more than 20 years of experience in finance and technology.
Lowe’s Canada to add 14 stores

Toronto – Lowe’s Canada is in growth mode. In addition to completing the acquisition of 12 former Target sites, the company also plans to open two more locations in Ontario, which will bring its total store count to 54 from 40.
Report: Target plans solar expansion

Minneapolis – Target Corp. is reportedly planning to expand upon existing solar plans for its North Carolina store base. According to the Charlotte Business Journal, Target has added eight stores to the existing 19 stores in the state it plans to equip with rooftop solar panels.
Report: Check the hours on that ‘24-hour’ Wal-Mart

Bentonville, Ark. – Shoppers who frequent 24-hour Wal-Mart locations may want to double-check the opening and closing times. According to Bloomberg, Wal-Mart will begin closing about forty 24-hour stores in areas including Philadelphia, New Jersey and Maryland for a few hours each night. This expands upon the nighttime closures of about 25 other 24-hour Wal-Marts, which began earlier this year. Wal-Mart plans to use the downtime for activities such as stocking shelves and preparing store floors for customers.
Former eBay exec joins Ernst & Young as innovation head

New York – The changes continue at eBay. Jeff Wong, who ran eBay’s Business Incubation Group, has joined professional services firm Ernst & Young as chief innovation officer. Wong will lead Ernst & Young’s newly formed Global Innovation Team. The team will identify emerging concepts and solutions and also work to develop new technologies, strategies and solutions.