OPERATIONS / SUPPLY CHAIN

Chicago -- Twenty-four percent of full-time retail employees plan to change jobs in 2014, three points above the average for all workers (21%) and up from 20% in 2013. According to a new survey from Harris Interactive, CareerBuilder and WorkInRetail.com, 51% of retail workers are satisfied with their jobs, down from 60% in 2013.

Hoffman Estates, Ill. - Sears Holdings Corporation anticipates hiring 6,500 veterans and military spouses in 2014. The hiring goal builds on the more than 6,000 veterans and spouses hired in 2013, and nearly doubles the 3,500 hired in 2012.

The company currently employs more than 30,000 veteran associates, many of whom are still serving in the National Guard and the Reserve forces.

Pittsburgh -- American Eagle Outfitters said that CEO Robert Hanson, would leave the company, effective immediately. He was appointed to the position in late 2011, after 23 years at Levi Strauss & Co., where he served in a number of executive roles.

Similar to many other teen retailers, American Eagle has been struggling. The company reported a profit of $24.9 million in the three months ended Nov. 2, compared to $78.6 million in the year-ago period. Revenue was $857.3 million, a decline from $910.4 million a year ago.

Plano, Texas – J.C. Penney Co. released its 2013 Sustainability Report, outlining sustainability initiatives pursued during fiscal year 2012 ended Feb. 2013. Highlights of the report included:

• Stores and Operations: Through the company’s energy conservation efforts, J.C. Penney has received Energy Star certification in more than 500 locations and earned the Energy Star Sustained Excellence Award for five consecutive years.

New York -- The National Retail Federation on late Tuesday sent a letter to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and House Speaker John Boehner that called for replacing the magnetic-strip credit and debit cards that are widely used throughout the United States with chip-based cards that store data in an embedded computer micro-chip and require the use of a PIN rather than a signature. The chip-based cards are widely used in Europe, Asia and Africa.

Cincinnati – The Kroger Co. has promoted two veteran company executives. Jay Cummins has been named president of the Smith's Food and Drug Stores division and Joe Fey has been named president of Kroger's Mid-Atlantic division.

Cummins, 62, has been serving as president of Kroger's Mid-Atlantic division. He succeeds Mark Tuffin, who was named senior VP of retail divisions in December 2013.

Framingham, Mass. – Staples, Inc. is launching a new technology trade-in program. Staples already recycles electronic office products for free and now small businesses and consumers can trade-in a variety of used technology devices for Staples eCash Cards, which can be used in Staples stores or on Staples.com.

Seattle – Nordstrom plans to open its third fulfillment center at Conewago Industrial Park in Elizabethtown, Pa. Work has begun on the approximately 672,000-sq.-ft. building, with an additional 470,000-square foot mezzanine, which is scheduled to open in summer 2015, and the company is taking bids.