OPERATIONS / SUPPLY CHAIN

Two Aeropostale board members will not return
New York – During World War II, Gen. Douglas MacArthur famously said, “I shall return.” Two board members of Aeropostale Inc. are taking the opposite approach.

Robert B. Chavez has advised Aeropostale that he will not seek re-election to its board of directors in 2015 due to his responsibilities and time commitments as president and CEO of Hermes of Paris Inc. Chavez will continue to serve until the 2015 annual meeting.
Shopping center developer Edens names CEO
Columbia, S.C. – Edens, an owner and developer of community shopping centers, has named Jodie W. McLean as CEO, effective June 30. McLean will replace Terry S. Brown, who is stepping down as chairman and CEO.

McLean has been a member of the Edens leadership team for 18 years. Brown became CEO and joined the company's board of directors in 2002, and became chairman of the board in 2013.

Sears Hometown launches 51-store refresh program with seven Arizona upgrades

New York -- Sears Holdings Corp. is hoping to spark a turnaround in its struggling Hometown and Outlet Stores division with a 51-store refresh program that starts with seven stores in Arizona.

The store refresh includes a new product assortment, redesigned merchandising, new fixtures & signage, and comprehensive employee training, among other changes.
Metro interested in some Target Canada stores

Montreal – Canadian grocery retailer Metro Inc. is interested in purchasing some of the 133 Canadian stores Target Corp. finished closing earlier this month. In an April 22 conference call with investors, Metro said the possibility exists that it will try to purchase certain former Target stores.

"There are a few of those stores that could be of interest to us down the road if they become available," Eric La Fleche, CEO of Metro, said during the call.
Sam’s Club adds new services for its small-business members

Bentonville, Ark. -- Wal-Mart's Sam's Club division is launching new, high-value services for small-business owners as it looks to differentiate itself from Costco while fending off competition from well-capitalized online startup Jet.com.
TJX chairman Cammarata to retire, CEO Meyrowitz will succeed him

Framingham, Mass. – Bernard Cammarata, 75, founder and chairman of The TJX Companies Inc., will retire June 11, 2015 after nearly 40 years with the company. Carol Meyrowitz, 61, who has served as CEO of TJX since January 2007, been a board director since 2006 and joined the company in 1983, will succeed him as chairman.
Former CEO of Patagonia joins digital media company FastG8

Carbondale, Colo. -- Casey Sheahan, former CEO of Patagonia, has joined FastG8, a digital media company focused on driving e-commerce for brands in the outdoor and active lifestyle marketplaces.

Also joining the form is Zohar Ziv, who retired from Deckers Outdoor Corporation in January, where he most recently held the title of COO. He has also served as CFO for Deckers.
Former DSW, Starbucks exec named marketing chief of HSN

St. Petersburg, Fla. -- HSN, Inc. has appointed John Aylward as executive VP and chief marketing officer for HSN, an operating division of the $3.6 billion interactive multichannel retailer.
Study: Retail breach exposure worsens

Mountain View, Calif. – It’s not just media hype – retailers’ exposure to data breaches really is getting worse. According to the 2015 Internet Threat Report from security technology provider Symantec, 11% of all data breaches Symantec recorded in 2014 hit retailers.

Only the healthcare industry represented a larger share of breaches. In addition, retailers provided a leading 59% of all identities revealed in breaches during 2014. Total breach incidents during the year rose 23% compared to 2013.
Staples names executive VP, merchandising

New York -- Staples said it has named Peter J. Scala as executive VP, merchandising, effective immediately. Scala will report to Demos Parneros, president, North American stores and online, and will be a member of the company’s executive committee.

Most recently, Scala served as senior VP of merchandising, online marketplace, leading the rapid expansion of Staples’ product assortment to support small and mid-size business customers.