Consumer Affairs & Relations

Retailers factor in all kinds of variables when evaluating suppliers and a recent change at sauce and dressing manufacturer Litehouse gives sellers of food and consumables something new to think about.

The 50-year-old family owned Litehouse company based in Sandpoint, Idaho recently became 100% employee owned following the execution of an employee stock ownership plan. Litehouse first formed an ESOP plan in 2006 when it sold 30% of the company as a commitment to employees and their communities.

Salt Lake City – ReposiTrak,a leading provider of Compliance Management and Track & Trace solutions for food safety exclusively endorsed by FMI and ROFDA, said that W. Lee Flowers and Company, which operates or supplies 90 IGA / KJ’s Market and independent supermarkets in the Carolinas and Georgia, has chosen ReposiTrak to manage their food safety-related risk.



Boston -- Gordon Brothers Group, a global advisory, restructuring and investment firm specializing in the retail, consumer products, industrial and real estate sectors, announced that Michael D. Sullivan has been promoted to managing director, business development in the Northeast Region for the firm’s Valuation & Advisory Services Division.

New York -- Dollar General CEO Rick Dreiling had planned to retire in a few months, but after Family Dollar shareholder’s snubbed his company’s buyout offer, Dreiling said he’ll stick around a bit longer.

Last June, Dollar General indicated that Dreiling would step down as CEO effective May 30, or possibly sooner depending on the conclusion of a search for his successor.

New York – Taking money is one thing, but e-retailers aren’t always so great at giving it back. In a study of the refunds performance of 40 of the largest online retailers, analysis firm StellaService found that the majority of retailers evaluated aren’t meeting consumer expectations.

For orders placed in fourth quarter 2014, the average speed to receive a refund from the companies evaluated was 9.5 days. The majority of consumers said they expect a refund in seven days or less.

Dollar General CEO Rick Dreiling had planned to retire in a few months, but after Family Dollar shareholder’s snubbed his company’s buyout offer, Dreiling said he’ll stick around a bit longer.

Washington, D.C. – An estimated 184 million viewers will watch Super Bowl XLIX on Sunday, Feb. 1. According to NRF’s Super Bowl Spending Survey conducted by Prosper Insights & Analytics, average viewer spending will reach a survey high of $77.88, up from $68.27 in 2013.

Total spending is expected to reach $14.3 billion. Young adults ages 18-24 plan on spending an average of $95.92; those ages 25-34 and 35-44, however, will spend slightly more at an average of $101.54 and $102.82, respectively.

New York -- Ebay Inc.  plans to cut about 2,400 positions, or 7% of its workforce, across eBay marketplaces, PayPal, and eBay enterprise in the current quarter to simplify its organizational structure.

The company also said it will explore strategic options for eBay enterprise, including a sale or an IPO.