Consumer Affairs & Relations

Rockville, Md. -- Goodwill Industries International teamed with AT&T to launch a free “Goodwill Locations/Locator” mobile app, currently available on iOS and Android mobile operating systems.

The mobile application provides users with a tool that currently has information about more than 4,800 Goodwill donation centers and stores across the United States and Canada.

The custom app was built by AT&T's Mobility Solutions Services, using the AT&T Mobile Application Development platform.

Mississauga, Ontario – Rexall is launching MyRexall, a new service providing its customers with the ability to view and print their personal medication records online. In addition to viewing their medication record, MyRexall will allow customers the ability to request a refill at their local Rexall, print their medication record for review with a physician or other health care professional and easily transfer prescriptions to their local Rexall pharmacy.

Seattle – Amazon.com founder and CEO Jeff Bezos is purchasing The Washington Post from media holdings firm The Washington Post. Co. for $250 million in cash. He is making the purchase privately and Amazon.com is not involved in the transaction. Bezos will reportedly take the currently public Washington Post private.

Waban, Mass. – Amazon.com was the top-ranked company across 19 industries in the 2013 Web Experience Ratings from Temkin Group. Amazon.com had a score of 77%, almost 21 percentage points higher than the retail industry average.

Other retailers in the top 10 included eBay, tied for fifth place at 70%, and QVC, tied for eighth place at 69%. Taco Bell and Kmart earned ratings that were at least 15 points below the retail industry average. Old Navy was the only retailer to have a double-digit score increase from last year.

Increased advertising to support brand differentiation ate into second quarter profits at snack maker Snyder’s-Lance, but the company expects the investment to pay off during the second half of the year.

Snyder's-Lance, Inc. said sales increased 9.9% to $439 million from $399 million and profits, excluding non-recurring items, increased 12.6% to $16.9 million, or 24 cents a share, compared to $15 million, or 22 cents a share. Earnings per share were four cents below analysts’ consensus estimate.

Roundarch Isobar, the U.S. arm of the global digital marketing agency Isobar, has appointed Steven Moy as the company’s chief commerce officer. He joins from SapientNitro, where he was VP of business and office lead at that company’s Boston office.  

Roundarch Isobar will leverage Moy’s experience in retail to further develop the company’s digital commerce practice. He will report directly to Jeff Maling and Geoff Cubitt, co-CEOs of Roundarch Isobar.

New York -- Stirling Properties has opened the Mid-City Market in New Orleans, the firm’s largest group-up retail development in the city. A 54,390-sq.-ft Winn-Dixie anchors the 108,763-sq.-ft. shopping center. Stirling estimates that the center will generate annual retail sales of more than $61 million.

By Colleen A. Conry, Jane D. Goldstein, Natalie Logan and Alicia Suarez

On April 24, 2013, 1,127 people were killed when Rana Plaza, a garment manufacturing complex in Savar, Bangladesh, collapsed. This tragedy highlights the working conditions that may exist in Bangladesh and other countries. It also draws attention to the challenges faced by U.S. companies that want to conduct their business in an ethical and socially responsible way, particularly when operating through third-party suppliers in foreign countries.   

Boca Raton, Fla. – Office Depot has filed a presentation with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), which the retailer says demonstrates the importance of shareholders electing its board’s nominees at the company’s annual meeting on Aug. 21.

Plano, Texas – J.C. Penney has named Debra Berman as senior VP marketing. Berman previously served as VP marketing strategy and engagement at Kraft Foods Group since 2009.