DATATRAC

Personnel Updates

• HSN has named Carmen Bauza as its Exec VP and Chief Merchandising Officer.

• Party City Corporation announced that Ryan Vero has joined the company as Exec VP.

• Target Corporation announced Anne Dament, Senior VP Grocery Merchandising is leaving the company. The retailer also announced it has named Shekar Natarajan to the newly created role of Senior VP, Network Planning and Operational Design.

• Toys “R” Us Inc. announced it has appointed Amit Poddar as Senior VP, Chief Software Architect.

Industry Insight

• Amazon.com Inc. is planning to operate a 20-location pilot for its grocery store concept by the end of 2018, in such locations as Seattle, Las Vegas, New York, Miami, and San Francisco.

• Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. is opening a new store in the Sunset Park section of Brooklyn, NY, in December. The 120,000 sq. ft. store will feature local items along with a coffee bar, and will also offer cooking classes.

• Best Buy Co. Inc. announced it is launching a new service, called Wi-Fi Setup & Support, which offers home Wi-Fi setup either over the phone, Web or in the customer’s home.

• SmartBargains.com LP announced it will expand its Rue La La e-commerce sites to reach 219 countries and territories.

• Target Corporation is planning to test vertical farms, an agricultural process that involves growing plants indoors in precisely programmed conditions, within select U.S. stores.

• Toys “R” Us Inc. has opened a new experience-driven prototype in Santa Ana, CA.   The 25,000 sq. ft. store will have more interactive features.

Real Estate

• Dollar General Corp. is planning to unveil a smaller-store concept designed around convenience. The new 3,400 square foot format, called DGX, is due to open in early 2017 with a unit in downtown Nashville, TN, and another in Raleigh, NC.

• Dollar General Corp. announced plans to construct a 750,000 sq. ft., $91 million distribution center in Orange County, NY.

• Hhgregg Inc. announced it has closed five underperforming stores in Wisconsin.

• Office Depot Inc. plans to close 65 locations in the fourth quarter of this fiscal year.