Marketing

SAN JOSE, Calif. — eBay reported that it has completed its previously announced acquisition of GSI Commerce, a leading provider of e-commerce and interactive marketing services. The stockholders of GSI approved the adoption of the merger agreement with eBay at the special meeting of stockholders held on June 17 and the merger became effective later that day.

SAN MATEO, Calif. — DemandTec announced that Dollar General will use DemandTec's markdown optimization, everyday price optimization, and everyday price management software services.  According to DemandTec, these three services are designed to enable retailers to optimize and strategically manage pricing for the entire store, including new items, regular retails, promoted items, and clearance items.  

CINCINNATI — Kroger announced that it has named Michael Donnelly SVP merchandising. Donnelly has been president of the company's Ralphs Grocery Company division, based in Los Angeles, Calif., since August 2007.

In his new position, Donnelly will lead all merchandising and procurement for Kroger.  

Allegations of illegality and intimidation are par for the course whenever union organizers lose an election, so it should have come as no surprise when workers at a Target in Valley Stream, N.Y. voted against unionization.

The National Labor Relation Board announced this past weekend that 137 workers voted against joining the United Food and Commercial Workers union while 85 workers supported the union. Had the drive been successful it would have been the first time workers at any of Target’s store were represented by a collective bargaining agreement.

The most recent Leading National Advertisers annual report from Advertising Age shows Target posted the biggest increased in ad spending in 2010 among conventional retailers. The total amount the company spent increased 12% to $1.508 billion compared with $1.246 billion the prior year. That put the company 18th on the Ad Age list of the nation’s 100 largest advertisers. Only two retailers spent more than Target.

It was the biggest story in the retail world last week when JCPenney announced it had hired Ron Johnson as its new CEO with the incoming executive vowing to transform the way America shops by reinventing the department store. Such statements normally elicit a yawn because they are so common, but Johnson is the former SVP retail at Apple and spent the past 11 years overseeing the development and growth of the company’s wildly successful and widely heralded retail operation.

Los Angeles -- Guess said Monday that chairman and co-founder Maurice Marciano will retire as an executive officer in January 2012. However, he will continue to serve as a non-executive chairman and as a consultant for two more years after his retirement becomes effective.
 

Bentonville, Ark. -- Wal-Mart Stores, announced Monday that the company has completed its investment for a 51% stake in South African-based Massmart Holdings Limited.

Miami -- New York City-based Robert K. Futterman & Associates announced that Marty Arrivo has joined the firm’s newly established Miami office as senior managing director.

With eight years of commercial real estate experience working with property owners and regional and national retailers, Arrivo, who started with RKF last month, is responsible for tenant and landlord representation throughout Florida and nationwide.

Newport Beach, Calif. -- CB Richard Ellis announced Monday that Scott Riddles has joined the company’s Western Division Retail team as a senior VP. Riddles will be joined by his current team – Derek Fitch, Rob Crumly and Ryan Riddles – and all will be based in the firm’s Newport Beach office.

Riddles comes to CBRE from SRS Real Estate Partners, formerly Staubach Retail, where he was a founding partner.