Marketing

Boston - Cone Communications has launched its new social impact tool to help companies assess, communicate and prove their progress against addressing critical social issues. The Cone Social Return Assessment is a proprietary, diagnostic tool that uncovers gaps and opportunities within three elements critical to a company's successful program: awareness, engagement and impact, and provides a plan to optimize its business and social return.   

During the first year of Walmart’s Veterans Welcome Home Commitment, the company hired more than 42,000 veterans. The commitment, launched last Memorial Day, guarantees a job offer to any honorably discharged veteran within his or her first 12 months off active duty. Walmart projects it will hire more than 100,000 veterans in five years.

Wayne, N.J. -- Toys “R” Us announced the appointment of Campbell Lennox as managing director, Toys “R” Us, Australia, effective May 26.

Lennox will oversee all operations and business activities for the company’s 34 store locations and e-commerce site, as well as provide leadership for the more than 1,700 employees throughout the country. His responsibilities will include marketing, merchandising, store operations and customer service excellence.

Shopper social media company Collective Bias has named Ali Mirian as SVP of product development and analytics.

Jackonsville, Fla. -- Stein Mart on Thursday said it has appointed Sara Meza as director of e-commerce.

Meza came on board in April, following a 12-year tenure at Belk where she led the original launch of the retailer’s website business.

Walmart is reportedly planning to substantially expand its e-commerce operation based in Sunnyvale, California. According to the Oakland Tribune, Walmart intends to add hundreds of staffers to its global e-commerce unit there, bringing the total number of e-commerce employees to about 1,000.
 
In addition, Walmart will lease a 107,000-sq.-ft. space in Sunnyvale to help house its e-commerce operations. Currently, the retailer employs about 550 e-commerce employees in Sunnyvale at an existing facility it will maintain.

Miami — Executive chef and owner Cindy Hutson plans to open a new restaurant concept called Zest in the 30,000-sq.-ft. plaza of Miami’s 1.2-million-sq.-ft. Southeast Financial Center office building. It will be her second restaurant brand following the well-regarded Ortanique, which has locations in Miami, and the Cayman Islands.

Stein Mart has named Sara Meza as director of e-commerce. Although Meza came on board in April — after a 12-year tenure at Belk where she led the original launch of the retailer’s website business — the company made the announcement in conjunction with solid first-quarter results.

Net income for the quarter decreased to $14.1 million, or $0.31 per diluted share, from a net income of $14.7 million, or $0.33 per diluted share in 2013.