OPERATIONS / SUPPLY CHAIN

Philadelphia -- Wal-Mart Stores and McDonald’s were the only retailers to crack the Hay Group’s eighth annual Best Companies for Leadership Study Top 20 list.

The study surveyed nearly 18,000 individuals at more than 2,200 organizations worldwide to examine how companies develop their leaders and foster cultures of innovation. This year, Procter & Gamble led the Top 20. Wal-Mart ranked No. 7, and McDonald’s came in at No. 8.

New York -- Retail is the No. 1 category utilizing location-powered advertising, with big box, consumer electronics and department store retailers being the most frequent users, according to a new report by location-based mobile advertising firm Verve Mobile.

The "State of the Market: Location Powered Mobile Advertising, Deep Dive on Retail" study reveals that geo-fencing, which includes geo-conquesting, is the most utilized location targeting strategy deployed by retailers.  I

In other findings:

Costa Mesa, Calif. – Almost half of holiday marketing campaigns will start before Halloween, according to a survey of 200 marketers by Experian Marketing Services.

In addition, the study shows that the first 15 days of November are the most popular time to launch a holiday-themed campaign.

Other results include:

New York -- New York City drugstore operator Duane Reade, a division of Walgreens, on Tuesday celebrated an important social milestone — surpassing one million followers on Twitter — with a gala event at the chain’s flagship on Wall Street. From September 2012 to date, the regional retailer has organically grown its Twitter following by 6,709%, making it one of the fastest-growing accounts on Twitter year over year. With 1.1 million followers at latest count, the chain is believed to be the most followed retailer in the drug, food and mass arena.

Indianapolis – Hhgregg will hire 500 qualified home appliance and electronics sales associates in preparation for the holiday shopping season for its 228 stores. The company is accepting applications through the end of September and will be hiring for stores in the Midwest, South, Mid-Atlantic and Great Lakes regions.

Naperville, Ill. -- OfficeMax has opened a digital innovation collaboration center (called Digital IC2) in its headquarters in Naperville, Ill.

Austin, Texas – Whole Foods Market is launching an in-store meat apprenticeship program for its team members. The intensive 18-month training program is designed to transform aspiring butchers into skilled meat cutters and teach them the company's standards for quality, animal welfare, food safety, and sanitation.

New York – Macy’s, Inc. is partnering with NYC & Company, the marketing, tourism and partnership organization for New York City, to co-brand its new Herald Square Visitor Center as an official New York City information center.