Consumer Affairs & Relations

Vancouver, B.C. – 99 Cents Only Stores is digitizing its audit management procedures with the ACL GRC internal audit management system. Leveraging the GRC solution, the retailer will replace spreadsheets and shared drives. Anticipated benefits include increased collaboration and visibility among team members, the ability to more easily perform risk assessments and scoring, and ease of workflow adjustment as new issues and risks are identified.

LOS ANGELES — Ergobaby has named former VP of digital at Mattel and group strategy director at the DuMont Project, Cynthia Neiman, as the company’s CMO.

Neiman has more than 20 years of experience developing multichannel marketing strategies for both global corporations and internet startups. In addition to developing digital strategies for leading brands and retailers at digital consultancy the DuMont Project, Neiman also boasts deep experience in many consumer products categories including infant, pre-school, digital games and pets. 

New York -- Starwood Capital Group LLC, the investment firm headed by real estate developer Barry Sternlicht, has joined the bidding for Saks Inc., according to a report by the New York Post. Starwood Capital invests in retail, office and residential real estate.

The bid by Starwood is worth about $2.5 billion, or $17-$18 per share, according to the report. The amount is roughly equal to a previously existing bid from Canadian retail conglomerate Hudson’s Bay, which also owns the Lord & Taylor department store chain.

Greensboro, N.C. -- Robert H. Ham, a provider of store fixtures and display items, announced that the company has changed its name and brand to Firefly Store Solutions.
 
While Firefly Store Solutions has adopted a new corporate logo, the company’s staff and service remains unchanged.

PARK CITY, Utah — Audio brand Skullcandy has promoted Denny Bruce to head of domestic sales, reporting to the company's CEO, Hoby Darling. 

In this role, Bruce will be responsible for overseeing all Skullcandy brand distribution in the U.S. as well as building out a domestic brand and sales strategy for the company's 2XL and Gaming products.

Oak Brook, Ill. -- McDonald’s Corporation reported modest global gains in net income, revenues and same-store sales during the second quarter of fiscal 2013. Both its profit and revenue trailed analysts’ estimates.

Lynnfield, Mass. – HP Hood, manufacturer of the Brigham’s brand of ice cream, has decided to stop supplying the 10 remaining independent ice creams stores in the Boston area that serve Brigham’s with the product later this month. As reported by the Boston Globe, this will require the two stores still operating under the Brigham’s banner to change their name once the final shipments run out.

Deerfield Park, Ill. – Walgreens, as well as Boston-area grocery chain Roche Bros. and convenience chain Tedeschi Stores, have indicated they will join CVS in refusing to sell the upcoming Aug. 3 issue of Rolling Stone that features a cover photo of Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. Walgreens made an announcement yesterday afternoon on Twitter, while the Boston Globe reported that Roche Bros. and Tedeschi would also decline to sell the controversial issue.