Amazon.com has bolstered its materials handling
capabilities with the acquisition of Kiva Systems. The deal,
worth approximately $775 million in cash (£488 million),
will see Amazon further deploy automation technology in its
fulfilment centres. The addition of Kiva Systems to the Amazon
family will “improve productivity by bringing the products
directly to employees to pick, pack and stow,” Dave Clark,
Amazon.com’s vice president of global customer fulfilment said in
a statement.
SuperGroup, the owner of the
Superdry fashion brand, has appointed Susanne
Given in a newly created role as chief operating officer. Given
had previously held the role of UK managing director at
TK Maxx and most recently was director of
fashion and beauty at John Lewis partnership.
Supergroup also has a new chief financial officer. Former
Habitat chief operating officer and Fat
Face finance director Shaun Wills joins the business on
23rd April. Further strengthening its management team, Supergroup
has named Claire Arksey, currently retail director at apparel
retailer Reiss, as head of retail.
Stephen Smith, Walmart’s chief marketing officer
for China is moving to join the supermarket’s UK division as
chief marketing officer at Asda. He replaces
Rick Bendel who accepted the post of international chief
marketing officer at Walmart.
More movers and shakers news, this time from
Net-a-Porter. The luxury-apparel etailer has
tapped former Harper’s Bazaar UK editor-in-chief
Lucy Yeomans as its new editor of Net-A-Porter.com.
In the half-year to 3rd March, Debenhams
delivered a “resilient” performance with
like-for-like sales growth of 1.4 per cent (including VAT), the
company said in a statement. For the second half of the year
Debenhams’ priority is to continue increasing availability and
choice through a multichannel offering and further expanding the
brand overseas.
Fashion and homewares retailer Next is expected
to reveal that sales in its Next Directory arm have broken the
£1 billion barrier for the first time, reports the Independent. The company’s home shopping
division is also expected to deliver a 16 per cent increase in
operating profit, to £257 million, in the year to 28th
January. According to the article, this means Next Directory made
more money than the John Lewis department store.
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