International Business

New York -- A report released Wednesday by MasterCard revealed that Canadian retail sales, which grew just 1.6% in December, trailed the U.S., which also posted less than stellar results for the month.

Sales in the U.S. advanced 2.4% in December.

Canada’s results were particularly disappointing, considering the country’s December sales grew 4.3% in December 2011, according to MasterCard’s SpendingPulse report.

FORT WORTH, Texas — Leading global workwear maker Dickies has announced plans to expand its occupational wear division’s product offerings as well as their geographical availability.

Beginning this month, Dickies will have head-to-toe uniform apparel for men, women and juniors in the food service, hospitality and healthcare industries. Dickies' occupational wear division, which   provides uniform apparel for customers in the United States, will now provide them for customers across Canada. 

Framingham, Mass. -- Staples announced that John Burke, SVP business services, has been named to the newly created position of SVP chief culture officer. Burke joined Staples more than 23 years ago and led its Business Services team for 12 years.

BELLEVUE, Wash. – Former Microsoft executive James S. Pinckney has joined Coinstar as its new corporate leader of strategy and operations, a newly created position.

The move comes a week and a half after the provider of automated retail solutions named J. Scott Di Valerio as its new CEO.

Pinckney has more than 25 years of international general management, strategy and sales experience from Lenovo, Microsoft Corp., The Sabre Group and Hitachi Data Systems Corp.

Wayne, N.J. -- The Toys “R” Us Children’s Fund announced it has made a $1 million donation to the Hurricane Sandy New Jersey Relief Fund, created by New Jersey’s Governor Chris Christie and First Lady Mary Pat Christie to aid, comfort and rebuild the Garden State in the wake of the devastation that impacted so many children and families.
 

PLANO, Texas — Former Procter & Gamble executive Joe Crafton has been named CEO of Crossmark, a leader in sales and marketing services in the consumer goods industry. Crafton, who served as president of Crossmark until his promotion, succeeds John Thompson, who has been CEO since 2010.

New York -- Monday launched with heavily attended keynote addresses at the National Retail Federation’s 102nd BIG Show at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City.
    
Former United Nations secretary-general Kofi Annan shared his views about the state of world politics, joined by moderator and Macy’s CEO Terry Lundgren, who also is the outgoing chairman of the NRF.
    

Paris -- French luxury group PPR’s Tuesday announcement that it has acquired 51% of British fashion brand Christopher Kane means that the luxury designer will soon have branded boutiques. The first is slated to open in London as early as 2014.

According to a report by Reuters, the deal is part of PPR's strategy to add to its luxury portfolio with small brands that have growth potential.

"We think it can become a sizeable business," Alexis Babeau, managing director of PPR's luxury division, told Reuters on Tuesday.