OPERATIONS / SUPPLY CHAIN

Old Navy criticized for higher cost of women’s plus-size jeans
New York -- A petition to get Old Navy to stop charging more for women's plus-size jeans has gathered more than 36,000 signatures online, Bloomberg reports.
RadioShack adds Houston to in-store mobile device repair program
Fort Worth, Texas -- RadioShack's Fix It Here! same-day mobile repair service is now available in 30 stores in the Houston area, adding to 650 stores already in play and plans to roll the service out to 750 stores by year end. The service allows smartphone and tablet owners to have common issues such as cracked screens, broken buttons and damaged charging ports repaired in-store and same-day. Repairs start at $39.99 and include a 90-day warranty on parts and labor.

Ralphs Grocery to hire 1,200 new employees across Southern California

Los Angeles -- Ralphs Grocery Co. said it will hire to fill an estimated 1,200 permanent positions at its stores in Southern California. Ralphs currently employs more than 19,000 associates at its stores in the region.
Togo's names former IHOP and Taco Bell exec as COO

San Jose, Calif. -- West Coast sandwich operator Togo's Eateries, Inc. has named Jim Peros as its new COO, charged with overseeing all operations and the expansion of the brand's restaurants throughout the West.
Wal-Mart workers plan to protest on Black Friday

Bentonville, Ark. -- For the third consecutive year, Wal-Mart workers at about 1,600 stores are prepping to protest on Black Friday to demand better wages and benefits. According to pressure group OUR Walmart, the protestors are demanding a $15/hour wage and consistent full-time hours.
Most customers frustrated by self-service technology

Lisle, Ill. -- Glory Global Solutions found that the overwhelming majority of U.S. consumers using self-service machines (88%) have felt frustrated by the technology, this according to the company’s latest research study on the use of self-service technology.
Panasonic opens pop-up store in NYC

New York -- Panasonic has unveiled a pop-up store in New York City's Union Square area featuring a collection of Panasonic's latest consumer products from the home, adventure, imaging, entertainment and beauty categories for shoppers planning their holiday gift-giving.
Rebecca Minkoff partners with EBay on connected stores

New York –- Specialty retailer Rebecca Minkoff has opened a “connected store” powered by EBay technology in the SoHo neighborhood of New York City, and will open connected stores in San Francisco Nov. 19 and in Los Angeles in 2015, respectively. Using EBay technology, the stores include mirrored displays with touchscreen video content that let customers request associate assistance or order drinks.
Kronos to release gamification feature in Workforce Central suite
Kronos to release gamification feature in Workforce Central suite