Marketing

Rakuten has teamed up with First Bankcard to launch the Rakuten Rewards MasterCard Program, which provides cardholders with reward points for using their credit card to shop on Rakuten.com and elsewhere.  

Rakuten.com, formerly Buy.com, is Rakuten's U.S. marketplace, offering consumers more than 17 million products at everyday low prices from a network of small and large business shop owners.

Seattle -- Nordstrom announced plans to open at a Nordstrom Rack at The Shops at River Walk in Bakersfield, Calif. The approximately 35,000-sq-ft. store is scheduled to open in spring 2015.

The new Nordstrom Rack will be the company's first location in Bakersfield.

For the fifth consecutive year, Amelia Island Florida is offering exclusive savings to Harris Teeter VIC (Very Important Customer) cardholders through a partnership between the Amelia Island Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB) and Harris Teeter.

Available April through December 31, VIC cardholders will receive discounts at 25 businesses, including Amelia Island hotels, restaurants, activities and shopping.

Tampa, Fla. — Burger 21 has announced plans to expand in the Phoenix, market with franchise developments. The fast-casual restaurant is currently developing two Arizona locations in Scottsdale and Chandler. Both will open later this year. To date, Burger 21 has 12 open locations and 18 franchised restaurants in development across the country.

Dayton, Ohio – Walmart is the most valuable retail brand in North America, with a brand value estimated at $131.8 billion, according to Interbrand's "Best Retail Brands" report. The retail powerhouse maintains its number one spot and, even with a 6% decline in brand value, it retains an enormous margin over its closest competitor Target, whose brand value is put at $27.1 billion, an 8% increase over 2013.

Woonsocket, R.I. -- CVS Caremark Corp. agreed to pay $20 million to settle U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission charges that it misled investors in 2009 during a debt offering and by accounting improperly for an acquisition.

The SEC said CVS failed to disclose while marketing $1.5 billion of bonds in September 2009 having recently lost significant Medicare and contract revenue streams in its pharmacy benefits manager business.

ChannelAdvisor, a leading provider of cloud-based e-commerce solutions that enable retailers and manufacturers to increase global sales, has promoted Jordan Weinstein to the role of managing director, EMEA.

Weinstein will be responsible for developing the company’s local strategy and direction for growth. Along with this appointment, ChannelAdvisor has expanded its European management team with four new directors in the EMEA region.

Atlanta -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has named The Home Depot as a 2014 Energy Star Partner of the Year – Sustained Excellence for its outstanding contribution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions through promotion of energy-efficient products. The Home Depot, an Energy Star partner since 2001, will be honored for its leadership in its long-term commitment to energy efficiency through promotion of energy-efficient products that earn the Energy Star, the government-backed symbol of energy efficiency.