OPERATIONS / SUPPLY CHAIN

Amazon gave some very special visitors a tour of its top secret drone testing laboratory in Cambridge, England.  

Ascena Retail Group, whose brands include Ann Taylor, Justice, and Lane Bryant, announced organizational changes expected to provide cost-savings of $100 million to $150 million by fiscal 2019.   The changes will see a number of executives leave the company, although Ascena did not disclose who would be leave. Also, Brian Lynch, CEO and president of Justice, has been appointed company COO.  

Gordon Brothers Group has a new name.   The 113 year-old, global advisory, restructuring, and investment firm said that all of its operating units will now be marketing under one name: Gordon Brothers.  

In line with Staples, more retailers are choosing to turkey over Thanksgiving Day sales.    Retailers across a variety of categories — from club stores and discount chains to department stores — are letting “their employees enjoy the holiday with their families instead of staffing the cash registers” on Thanksgiving, according to a story in the Sun Herald.  

Amazon is always exploring new and more efficient ways to get its goods to customers.   In what could be its latest move, the Internet giant might be working with a company developing technology that would allow delivery people temporary access when they’re making deliveries, according to a report by techcrunch.com.   For more, click here.   

It’s not just how much traffic a store gets. It’s what the store does with the traffic that matters. Chain Store Age will present a webinar on how retailers can increase sales even when challenged with lower store traffic.   Store traffic analytics expert Mark Ryski will draw on real-world, data-rich examples as he provides critical information on how retailers can drive significantly better retail performance for the holiday season and beyond—despite persistent ‘traffic trouble’.  

Target Corp. is putting the kibosh on what probably sounded like a good idea, but turned into what some shoppers called a nightmare.   In a pilot program that started in August, the discounter rolled out mini-shopping carts for kids in approximately 70 stores. But some kids apparently went wild with the little red carts, The Minneapolis Star-Tribune reported, crashing them into other shoppers, dumping merchandise into them and bruising their ankles and shins. Complaints about the kiddie carts went viral.  

Office Depot Inc. has agreed to sell its European business to an investment group.   The office-supplies retailer is selling its European operation to German investment firm Aurelius Group.   Office Depot Europe operates more than 100 stores in Europe, under such banners as Viking.