Marketing

Trace One, a product lifecycle management company focused on private label, named Mark Martini to its executive team.

Martini, a veteran CPG executive, will lead Trace One’s sales and customer development efforts in North America. Martini has spent 23 years in the CPG world working for companies such as Bristol-Myers Squibb, Catalina Marketing, DemandTec and Symphony IRI Group. Trace One said Martini will leverage his knowledge of consumer demand, shopper insights, price and trade optimization and other go-to-market strategies in his new role as vp of North America.

Bentonville, Ark. – Wal-Mart is offering its largest outdoor living, lawn and garden event of the year, featuring Black Friday-like prices. Starting at 8 a.m. on March 21, through March 29, Walmart’s Spring Savings Event will offer its lowest prices of the season on more than 60 outdoor essentials.

Wal-Mart’s Spring Savings Event will include $1.97 per bag red, black or brown mulch as well as brand-name lawn mowers and grills for less.

Gigwalk, a leading provider of crowdsourced solutions to retailers and CPG companies, just surpassed the 500,000th member of its mobile workforce and celebrated the occasion by securing an additional $10 million in funding.

New York — Warby Parker, the hip eyeglass brand, has leased the iconic retail space on the southeast corner of the intersection of Lexington Avenue and 82nd Street in the Upper East Side.

Winick Realty Group (www.winick.com) represented the landlord Samy Mahfar of SMA Equities in the transaction. Thor High Street Advisors represented Warby Parker.

Sizable new standalone sections of Disney brand consumer products have been created at 15 stores worldwide operated by the Army & Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES).

The merchandising initiative, dubbed “Disney at the Exchange” features a wide range of Disney, Marvel and Star Wars products and will be available in 15 AAFES installations by this summer. The assortment will include dolls, action figures, role play items and clothing, as well as toys and other merchandise tied to current Walt Disney Company theatrical releases and television content.

Seattle – Starbucks reportedly plans to expand a pilot of an evening alcohol and “light bites” menu that includes wine to thousands of stores nationwide. According to Bloomberg, Starbucks executives said the evening food and drink offerings, currently provided in about 40 test stores, will be rolled out during the next several years.

Dodgeville, Wis. – Lands’ End is introducing the Lands' End "How to Spring" campaign. The print and online advertising campaign includes a "How to Spring" sweepstakes, offering people the chance to win a $1,000 spring shopping spree.

With technology continuing to reshape the store experience, global retail real estate leader Simon Property Group is upping its digital game with the creation of a new venture capital group.

The company, which owns or has an interest in 325 retail properties encompassing 243 million square feet, has created Simon Ventures Group for the purpose of investing in retail innovation focused on opportunities that enhance the shopping experience.