OPERATIONS / SUPPLY CHAIN

Delivery wars heat up as two more retailers expand same-day services
Best Buy and Macy’s are stepping up their same-day delivery efforts as they continue to bolster their defenses to compete with Amazon and other rivals. Best Buy announced on Thursday it is expanding its same-day delivery of online orders from 13 metro areas to 27, with more to come. The retailer expects that customers in nearly 40 cities will be able to take advantage of service for the holiday selling season.
Target Q&A with its new chief strategy and innovation officer
On Sept. 11, Minsok Pak will step into the role of executive VP, chief strategy and innovation officer, for Target Corp. In the Q&A below, posted on Target's website, the retailer spoke with Pak about his past work with consumer brands, and the challenges facing retail today.

Disappointing Q2 for Lowe’s; to boost store employee hours

It was another disappointing quarter for Lowe’s Cos., which on Wednesday reported lower-than-expected adjusted earnings and revenue and gave notice of slower growth in profit margin for the second half. The home improvement company reported that its revenue rose 6.8% to $19.5 billion for the quarter ended Aug. 4, which was short of estimates. Same-store sales rose 4.5%, exceeding Street forecasts.
Macy's consolidates merchandising ops, cuts 100 jobs

Macy's is streamlining its merchandising operations, expanding its exclusive products and putting increased emphasis on customer insights and data analytics as new CEO Jeff Gennette begins to make his mark on the ailing department store giant.
Kohl’s to reduce floor space in half of its stores by end of year

There are some major changes going on at Kohl's stores. The department store retailer announced plans to make nearly half its locations "operationally smaller through balancing inventory and adjusting fixtures" by the end of 2017. To date, the new interior layouts have been rolled out in 300 Kohl's locations.
Walmart expands online grocery delivery via Uber

The nation's largest retailer continues to beef up its defenses against Amazon. Walmart is expanding its online grocery delivery pilot via Uber to Orlando and Dallas. The pilot is currently ongoing in Phoenix and Tampa, Fla. (The chain also runs its own grocery delivery service in Denver and San Jose, California.) Walmart announced the expansion just days prior to a scheduled vote by Whole Foods Market's shareholders on its pending acquisition by Amazon.
Target and Best Buy among speakers at annual cybersecurity summit

The Retail Cyber Intelligence Sharing Center (R-CISC) has announced featured speakers for its Retail Cyber Intelligence Summit, held October 3 - 4, 2017, in Chicago. Among the keynote speakers are Rich Agostino, chief information security officer at Target Corp, who will lead a session titled, "Stepping into Leadership: Staying Ahead of Today's Threats and the Evolving CISO Role," and Kostas Georgakopoulos, CISO at Procter & Gamble, leading a session on the next evolution of information security.
Preparing for Data-Driven Labor Management

No matter how many robots, kiosks and shiny technology are readily available to improve the in-store experience, retail stores still need human power to operate and provide personalized customer service through store associates. After all, the human touch still gives brick-and-mortar retailers a key advantage over e-commerce merchants.
Wal-Mart envisions ‘floating warehouse’

Amazon isn't the only retailer thinking about drones. Wal-Mart Stores has applied for a patent for a blimp-styled "floating warehouse" that could make deliveries directly to shoppers’ homes via drones, Bloomberg reported. The machine would fly at heights between 500 ft. and 1,000 ft. and be equipped with multiple launching bays. It would be operated autonomously or by a remote human pilot.
Discount giant’s inventory replenishment efforts are ‘top shelf’

Walmart is ensuring all in-store merchandise is ready for shoppers when they want to make a purchase.