OPERATIONS / SUPPLY CHAIN

Washington, D.C. - The National Retail Federation (NRF) has formed the Small Business Retail Council to organize, recruit and engage Main Street merchants and independent community retailers in grassroots advocacy activities. The Council will represent and be responsive to the needs, concerns and interests of local shops, and provide the association’s small business members a forum to discuss the most pressing public policy issues and priorities.

Mooresville, N.C. – Lowe’s has launched ProExpress, an on-demand delivery service for professional customers. Since April 2014, light-duty trucks have made thousands of deliveries directly to business sites to meet a wide range of needs.

Through the program, Lowe's has helped pros by fulfilling emergency orders such as smoke detectors to pass an inspection, or shingles to complete a job before a damaging storm. The ProExpress trucks also regularly visit businesses to restock shelves with cleaning and maintenance supplies. 

East Rutherford, N.J. - Mark Rickoff, travel retail professional with more than 40 years of experience, has joined Hudson Group as VP business development. Rickoff will have responsibility for building Hudson's business relationships in both new and existing markets.

Washington, D.C. – The National Retail Federation (NRF) is highly critical of a decision by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) recommending that McDonald’s and its franchisees should be considered joint employers. According to the NRF, this move would stall job growth and diminish capital investment by making it easier for fast food workers to unionize.

Boston – Wayfair has named Romero Rodrigues to the company's board of directors. As global CEO for comparison shopping at Naspers, a South African multinational mass media company, and co-founder of the Buscape Company, a digital commerce group, Rodrigues brings extensive entrepreneurial, e-commerce and consumer expertise to the Wayfair board.

Seattle – Amazon.com has opened a 3D printed products store, an online marketplace that gives customers access to more than 200 unique print on-demand products, many that can be customized by material, size, styles and color variations, and personalized with text and image imprints. The new store features search tools, interactive 3D preview functionality and a product personalization widget.

Savannah, Ga. - Bill Bishop has been named VP of real estate and development of convenience store chain Parker’s, a new position for the company. He will work with president and CEO Greg Parker on the company’s strategic real estate negotiations and acquisitions, citing research and permitting coordination with local officials.

Fort Worth, Texas - David E. Pratt has joined Trademark Property Co. as VP mall and lifestyle leasing. Pratt brings 27 years of retail leasing experience to Trademark, where he will be responsible for leasing of the company’s lifestyle centers and malls.