OPERATIONS / SUPPLY CHAIN

Cabela’s shuffles merchandising team
Sidney, Neb. – Cabela’s Inc. is reorganizing its merchandising team with the transition of executive VP/chief merchandising officer Brian J. Linneman to the role of strategic advisor, effective Aug. 31. As part of this change, the company is promoting Scott K. Williams to executive VP and chief commercial officer, merchandising, along with marketing, e-commerce, real estate, and strategy.

Roger Verhulst, senior VP of merchandising, will continue to lead the merchandising teams and report directly to Williams.
GameStop focuses on seasonal employee success
Grapevine, Texas – Like many other retailers, GameStop Corp. employs seasonal hires for the holiday season. Unlike many other retailers, GameStop focuses on skill growth and professional success for its 17,000-23,000 annual seasonal hires.

Report: Bezos blasts reports of abusive Amazon culture

Seattle – Jeff Bezos, CEO and founder of Amazon.com, is reportedly blasting an article in the New York Times that accuses the retailer of having a ruthless and even abusive workplace culture. According to CNBC, in an internal memo (excerpt below), the article is inaccurate and goes beyond “isolated anecdotes.”
Retail organized crime has a new opponent

New York – Organized crime groups targeting retail have a new opponent. Multiple retailers and law enforcement agencies across multiple locations and jurisdictions are banding together to form the Retail Organized Crime Coalition (ROCC).

The ROCC, which will officially launch and introduce its members at the Retail Fraud – New York conference on Sept. 24, will combat chronic retail organized crime through case referrals, education and the distribution of timely intelligence.
On Call Scheduling: The Beginning of the End?

Retail consulting firm McMillanDoolittle, Chicago, weighs in on its blog with three reasons why any retailer using the practice of “on-call” labor scheduling should end it immediately.
Rent-A-Center key exec leaving to head up pawn business

Plano, Texas -- Rent-A-Center announced the resignation of company veteran Mitchell E. Fadel, president and COO, effective Aug. 28.

Fadel is leaving to join EZCORP, where he will be president, U.S. Pawn. In his new position, he will lead the company's pawn businesses in the United States.
Report: Target not replacing departing merchandising VP

New York -- Another executive is leaving Target Corp. in the ongoing shakeup of the retailer’s management team under the watch of CEO Brian Cornell.

Jose Barra, an executive VP who headed up merchandising for various large categories, including beauty, electronics and grocery, is leaving for a new position, the Wall Street Journal reported.
REI names former Nordstrom exec as first-ever CIO; recruiting tech talent

Seattle -- REI has named its first-ever CIO. The outdoor specialty retailer company is also on the hunt for talented techies to join its ranks.

REI promoted Julie Averill to CIO, where she will continue to lead REI’s technology organization. A 25-year technology veteran, Averill joined REI in 2014 and most recently served as VP of information technology.
Targets adds more CPG, retail muscle to its board

New York -- Two retail and consumer product goods veterans have joined Target's board of directors.

The company announced Wednesday that its board of directors elected Donald R. Knauss, former executive chairman and former chairman and CEO of the Clorox Company, and Robert L. Edwards, former CEO of Safeway Inc., as new directors, effective immediately. 
Soupman taps retail vet as CEO

New York -- The brand that ‘Seinfeld’ made famous has tapped a retail vet as CEO.

Soupman announces that Jamieson Karson has joined the company as CEO and chairman. Karson is the former CEO and chairman of Steven Madden.

During his tenure at Steve Madden, Karson is credited with stabilizing the company and expanding the company's footprint into the global retail and wholesale markets. After Steve Madden, he was a partner at Lightship Partners, a retail consulting firm.