OPERATIONS / SUPPLY CHAIN

New York -- As part of its charitable giving program, jcp cares, J.C. Penney is inviting its customers to round up their purchases in February to the nearest whole dollar and donate the difference to benefit Dress for Success, an organization that providing professional attire, a network of support and the career development tools to help disadvantaged women thrive in work and in life.
 

London -- John Lewis department stores said Thursday it has appointed Mark Lewis as online director for the chain, effective March 4.
 
Lewis was previously CEO of Collect+, and also spent six years at eBay in roles including U.K. managing director and European marketplaces director.

Fremont, Calif. -- Men’s Wearhouse announced today the launch of a free mobile app called Wedding Tuxedo Group Manager, which provides couples with information about the rental of their wedding party’s tuxedos, simplifying the wedding planning process and providing peace of mind.

New York -- Barneys New York said Thursday it will launch its off-price website Barneyswarehouse.com on Monday, following a two-week pilot in August. Merchandise on the warehouse site will be past-season sale items at discounts of up to 75% off retail, and will be used along with its brick-and-mortar outlets for liquidation.

New York -- Labor groups that have long spoken out against Wal-Mart Stores will stop much of their picketing against the world's largest retailer, though they still plan to continue to push the company to improve working conditions.

The United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, or UFCW, and OUR Walmart reached an agreement with the National Labor Relations Board, the groups and Walmart said on Thursday.

Toronto -- Hudson’s Bay Co. said Thursday it has introduced a new three-tiered rewards program, partnering with Capital One Canada to boost the rate at which HBC shoppers earn reward points for shopping at Hudson's Bay, Thebay.com or Home Outfitters.

Hudson's Bay Rewards members will now earn one point for every dollar they spend on almost anything in store or online and, as they move up the tier levels, they earn more points per spend.

Chicago -- Automation and mass production will continue to make life easier in the years ahead, but consumers and companies will react by valuing – and promoting – human services and artisan goods. That’s one of the key trends research firm Mintel predicts will be impacting consumer behavior in the next five to 10 years.

As part of its lunch of Mintel Futures, a new program designed to forecast long-term industry trends, Mintel identified six key trends affecting the global consumer market in the near future:

Hampshire, United Kingdom -- The number of coupons redeemed through mobile and tablet devices is expected to reach 10 billion this year, up by more than 50% compared with last year, according to a new report from Juniper Research.