OPERATIONS / SUPPLY CHAIN

Starbucks No. 2 exec, COO Troy Alstead, to take extended leave
Seattle – In a surprising move, the second in command at Starbucks Corp., COO Troy Alstead, 51, is taking an extended, unpaid leave of absence from the company starting March 1. Alstead, a 23-year Starbucks veteran, is responsible for day-to-day operations of the coffee giant, a position he was appointed to in January 2014. He is widely viewed as a potential successor to CEO Howard Schultz.
Gordon Bros. and Hilco to close all Deb Shops
Boston -- Gordon Brothers Group and Hilco Merchant Resources will begin going-out-of-business sales at all 287 Deb Shops retail locations nationwide beginning Jan. 9. Deb Shops, a Philadelphia-based women’s fashion discount retailer, filed for Chapter 11 protection on Dec. 4, 2014.

NRF urges passage of bill restoring 40-hour workweek for benefits

Washington, D.C. - The National Retail Federation has expressed its strong support for H.R. 30, the Save American Workers Act, a bill that would restore the traditional 40-hour workweek standard for health benefits under the Affordable Care Act. The NRF sent a letter to each and every House office stating that all votes related to the bill would be considered “key votes” and factored into its annual legislative scorecard.
Five Below names merchandising head

Philadelphia -- Teen value retailer Five Below has named Michael Romanko as its executive VP of merchandising, charged with overseeing merchandising strategy and operations. Romanko, who officially assumes the role on Jan. 19, will report to president Joel Anderson.
Nordstrom Rack to open at Marina Pacifica

Long Beach, Calif. -- Nordstrom, Inc. announced plans to open a Nordstrom Rack at Marina Pacifica Mall in Long Beach, California. The 24,000-sq.-ft. store is scheduled to open in fall 2015. The property is managed by NewMark Merrill Companies.

The new Nordstrom Rack will occupy a former Loehmann's space and join a mix of tenants including Best Buy, ULTA Beauty, Pier 1 Imports, AMC Theaters, Barnes & Noble, Sports Authority and Ralphs.
Rite Aid promotes exec to VP pharmacy initiatives

Camp Hill, Pa. - Rite Aid Corp. has promoted Jocelyn Zazyczny Konrad, currently VP, healthcare initiatives, to group VP, pharmacy initiatives and clinical services. Konrad succeeds Karen Staniforth, who was recently promoted to the role of COO at Health Dialog, a subsidiary of Rite Aid.
Bi-Lo CEO to leave

New York -- Supermarket operator Bi-Lo Holdings LLC, parent of the Bi-Lo and Winn-Dixie chains, said that Randall Onstead will step as president and CEO, effective March 1. The company has identified a successor, who will be named at a later date.

Onstead has been with Bi-Lo, and its parent company Lone Star Holdings, since 2008 when he was named chairman of Bi-Lo, which was then a standalone supermarket company. Under his tenure, the company went though and successfully emerged from Chapter 11 protection after which it went on to flourish and expand.
La-Z-Boy names Pepsico exec new chief HR officer

Monroe, Mich. - La-Z-Boy Inc. has appointed Barbara J. Runyon as chief human resources officer. She will join the company on Feb. 2 and provide leadership and oversight for talent management, employee engagement, workforce development, and compensation and benefits.

Runyon joins La-Z-Boy from PepsiCo/The Pepsi Bottling Group, where she spent 14 years in various HR positions of increasing responsibility. Most recently, she served as senior director of HR for the company's Midwest region.
Survey: Security is top spending priority of CIOs in 2015

New York -- For the second consecutive year, security ranks as the top spending priority of CIOs in an annual survey by PiperJaffray, with 75% of respondents expecting to increase spending in 2015, up from 50% last year.

The results reflect Network (firewall) and endpoint security were the top two segments of the market expected to see an increase in spending.
True Value names Electrolux exec as VP, international

Chicago -- True Value Company announced the appointment of Lars Hybel to VP international, effective Jan. 12.

Hybel has a wealth of experience leading multinational and global teams, having worked for more than 15 years at Electrolux. Most recently, he was VP and general manager, global business unit, Electrolux Central Vacuum Systems, leading the transition of three regional operations to a global matrix organization, and successfully coordinating the first mass-channel entry in Canada, driving significant market share gain.