Marketing

Office Depot has appointed Michael A. Steele as VP of investor relations. Steele, who most recently served as VP of investor relations for OfficeMax, where he had been employed since July 2007, will report to Stephen E. Hare, EVP and CFO.

Steele will develop and execute Office Depot’s investor relations strategy, serving as the primary interface for management with the financial community. He plans to relocate to the Office Depot corporate headquarters in Boca Raton.

Washington, D.C. – Despite economic challenges, the restaurant industry should experience its fifth consecutive year of sales growth in 2014. According to the National Restaurant Association (NRA) 2014 Restaurant Industry Forecast, industry sales are projected to exceed $683 billion in 2014, up 3.6% from 2013’s sales volume of $659.3 billion.

Campbell Soup Company is marking the 80th birthday of its iconic Campbell’s Condensed Chicken Noodle soup.

Originally launched as Campbell’s Condensed “Noodle with Chicken” soup, it was the first soup of its kind and is still going strong after nearly a century. According to the company, Americans purchased more than 200 million cans of Campbell’s Chicken Noodle soup in 2013.

NEW YORK — Unilever’s Clear Scalp & Hair has tapped model Miranda Kerr to be the newest face — and hair — for Clear Scalp & Hair in the United States, giving her the title of the brand's first global brand ambassador.
 
Debuting this month, Kerr will star in a national advertising campaign appearing on TV, in print and on digital properties.

Lifetime Brands, manufacturers of brands such as Farberware, KitchenAid and Guy Fieri, has acquired Thomas Plant (Birmingham) Limited.

CHICAGO — Jewel-Osco president William Emmons is retiring less than a year after taking the helm at the grocery chain, which is now part of New Albertsons Inc., according to a Chicago Tribute report.

ChannelAdvisor, a leading provider of cloud-based e-commerce solutions, has appointed Judith Barnett as VP of human resources. In this role, Barnett will oversee global human resources and will be charged with attracting, developing and retaining individuals for the company’s growing worldwide team.

New York -- The U.S. National Labor Relations Board has filed a formal complaint charging that Wal-Mart Stores violated labor laws in 14 states by taking action against striking and protesting workers.

The NLRB said the retailer illegally fired, disciplined or threatened more than 60 employees in 14 states for participating in legally protected activities to complain about wages and working conditions.