Marketing

LONDONDERRY, N.H. — Danish footwear brand, Ecco, is celebrating its 50th anniversary with special deals and contests. Throughout the month of April, U.S. customers will enjoy special in-store displays, a Facebook sweepstakes starting today, and historical storytelling through the brand’s Tumblr blog.

Phoenix -- Leslie’s PoolMart will mark the grand opening of five retail locations on April 12. The stores are in Gold Canyon, Ariz., Madera, Calif., Torrance, Calif., West Springfield, Mass., and Magnolia, Texas.

In total, Leslie's plans to open 48 new stores this year between March and May. With these new stores and its recent acquisition of 24 Warehouse Pool Supply stores in the Houston area, Leslie's will bring its total store count to more than 800 stores nationwide.

New York -- Macy’s and J.C. Penney are slated to be back in New York state court on Monday unless a last-minute settlement regarding Macy’s right – or not – to sell certain Martha Stewart products is reached.

The two retailers are coming out of a month-long mediation stint, but so far no settlement has been reached.

According to a Monday report by Reuters, witness are scheduled to be on the stand Monday and Tuesday, including J.C. Penney marketing executives.  

New York -- Ron Johnson is out as CEO of J.C. Penney. In making the announcement, the company also said that that Myron E. (Mike) Ullman has rejoined Penney as CEO, effective immediately. Ullman, who served as CEO of Penney until late 2011, has also been elected to the board of directors.

Johnson’s departure was not all that unexpected given the chain’s mounting losses and sales declines. But it was still a stunning reversal of fortune for the former golden boy of Apple, who left the tech giant amid great fanfare for the top job at Penney.

FORT WORTH, Texas — Global work wear brand Dickies has launched Shop and Compare, the newest online tool that allows users to compare products side by side, saving time for on-the-go shoppers.

NEW YORK — Macy's has announced the launch of its American Icons campaign, a cross-country tribute to the beloved traditions, people and landscapes of America. Macy's American Icons will officially kick-off in mid-May and extend through July. 

Bentonville, Ark. -- Wal-Mart said it will open two additional college campus locations, nearly two years after make its university debut at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville.

According to a Monday report by the Wall Street Journal, which cited Inside Higher Ed, the retailer will open a 5,000-sq.-ft. store at Arizona State University in Phoenix next month, and will open in Atlanta on the Georgia Tech campus later this year.

New York -- Costco Wholesale appears to be eyeing China's online commerce market, according to published reports.

The Southern Metropolis Daily, a newspaper based in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou, reported Thursday that the Issaquah, Wash.-based club retailer was interested in entering the country's e-commerce market and was in the process of looking for local partners.