International Business

SUFFERN, N.Y. — Ascena Retail Group, a leading specialty retailer offering clothing, shoes, and accessories for missy and plus-size women and tween girls, under the Justice, Lane Bryant, maurices, dressbarn and Catherines brands, has named Ronnie Robinson to the position of president Ascena Global Sourcing (AGS).

Brett Biggs, Walmart U.S. CFO, will share his views on the company’s performance during an upcoming Doing Business in Bentonville meeting.

Bigg’s is slated to speak at the event scheduled for 7 a.m., March 13 in Rogers, Ar., and could have some interesting things to say given the timing of the event. Walmart is due to report fourth quarter and full year results next week on February 21 and then on March 7 the company hosts a two day event in Orlando for store managers and suppliers where new initiatives tend to be unveiled.

Apparel manufacturer, VF Corp. reported that its fourth quarter 2012 revenues rose 4% (5% in constant dollars) to a record $3 billion from $2.9 billion in the same period of 2011 driven by strength in the outdoor and action sports and sportswear coalitions, and its international and direct-to-consumer businesses. The sale of John Varvatos in April 2012 negatively impacted VF’s revenue growth by 1 percentage point in the fourth quarter.

ATLANTA -- UPS has formed a strategic collaboration with Jabil Circuit. UPS’s logistics and distribution business unit and Jabil Aftermarket Services will provide optimized reverse logistics solutions for return and repair programs to high-tech original equipment manufacturers, service providers and enterprises on a global scale.

NEW YORK — Coach announced that Victor Luis has been appointed president and chief commercial officer. Concurrently, he has joined the board of directors. He will become CEO in January 2014. Lew Frankfort will continue as chairman and CE during this interim period and will then become executive chairman.

In the food industry’s largest ever acquisition, the H.J. Heinz Company has agreed to be acquired by an investment consortium of Berkshire Hathaway and 3G Capital.

Heinz shareholders will receive $72.50 a share in cash, a 20% premium to the prior day’s closing price of $60.48, which was at an all time high.

GREENSBORO, N.C. — The board of directors of VF Corp., a global leader in branded lifestyle apparel and footwear, has elected Matthew Shattock as a director.

Shattock is the president and CEO of Beam Inc., one of the world’s leading premium spirits companies. He has led Beam since 2009, first as an operating unit of Fortune Brands and since October 2011 as a standalone public company. 

NEW YORK -- MGA Entertainment has partnered with Nickelodeon to create a new animated series based on the best-selling Lalaloopsy toy line.