OPERATIONS / SUPPLY CHAIN

Krebs: Fraudsters show plenty of innovation
Whatever your opinion of fraudsters who steal and resell consumer credit card data, you can’t deny they are highly innovative.

This was the key message of a presentation security blogger Brian Krebs gave at the Gartner Symposium ITxpo 2015 in Orlando, Florida, on Oct. 4.
Walmart cuts 450 jobs at headquarters
The importance of expense control at Walmart became evident on Friday when the retailer confirmed it planned to eliminate 450 positions as part of a broader restructuring effort.

Search on for new Supervalu CEO

Supervalu announced that president and CEO Sam Duncan will retire at the end of the company’s fiscal year. The company also elevated two other executives to key senior leadership roles and affirmed its commitment to exploring strategic alternatives for the Save-A-Lot retail division.

The $18 billion grocery wholesaler and retailer said Duncan would remain with the company until February 29, 2016. He joined the company in February 2013 in connection with the sale by Supervalu of five retail banners to Albertsons.
Meijer finds RX for growth with new president

Midwest discounter Meijer tapped a former store pharmacist who worked his way up in the company as its next president.

The Grand Rapids, Michigan-based Meijer announced that Rick Keyes, who joined the company 26 years ago as a pharmacist in Columbus, Ohio, has been appointed as president. He will succeed James Kevin "J.K." Symancyk, who is leaving Meijer, effective Oct. 9, to become the CEO of Texas-based retailer Academy Sports + Outdoors.
Staples says no to Black Thursday

Staples is bucking the Black Thursday trend by making a statement, literally, about closing its stores on Thanksgiving Day in order to allow its customers, employees and their families to enjoy the holiday.

The retailer issued a statement on Thursday saying that despite being open on Thanksgiving Day the past two years, this year it says customers and employees should have the chance to stay home with family and friends. Stores will open at 6 a.m. on Black Friday.
Victoria's Secret vet joins Chico's board of directors

Chico’s is looking to a veteran of Victoria’s Secret to help the company navigate some troubling times. The company announced that Cynthia A. Fields has been appointed to its board of directors, effective immediately. Fields was also appointed to the board's merchant committee.
Omnichannel comes of age with new index

The National Retail Federation and e-digital consultancy FitforCommerce have launched a first-of-its-kind Omnichannel Retail Index to help retailers benchmark against industry best practices.
EMV is here – sort of

The highly anticipated EMV deadline of Oct. 1 has come and gone, leaving many retailers and payment solutions providers to ponder what’s next? As of Oct. 1, 2015, any U.S. retailer that does not have the necessary POS hardware, software, and operational and network protocols in place to process an EMV-compliant chip card transaction faces a shift in fraud liability.
New CEO Sought at Tuesday Morning

Michael Rouleau was never seen as a long-term leadership solution as Tuesday Morning’s CEO, but the veteran retailer’s abrupt departure with no immediate successor named reveals the off-price retailer lacked a succession plan.

The company said Rouleau, 77, will remain in a consultative capacity until March 31, 2016 and that it had created a new Office of the Chairman led by current Board Chairman Steven Becker to support oversight of the company’s strategic initiatives until a new CEO can be hired.
Former Gap CEO joins eBay board

eBay is turning to the former chief executive of a major specialty retailer to help provide its board of directors some guidance.

Paul Pressler, who served as president and CEO of Gap Inc. from 2002-2007, has been named to eBay’s board and will serve on the Audit Committee as well as the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee.