Marketing

The wait is finally over—and with it, the competition between Microsoft and Apple takes a closer turn. Microsoft will take the wraps off its Manhattan flagship, on Oct. 26. The store is located on Fifth Avenue and 53rd Street, just a few short blocks from Apple’s Fifth Avenue flagship with its glass cube entry.

A change at the top has given new energy to Boston-based specialty retailer City Sports. In July, the company tapped veteran retail executive Marty Hanaka as CEO. He replaced Edward Albertian, who resigned in June.

eBay is turning to the former chief executive of a major specialty retailer to help provide its board of directors some guidance.

Paul Pressler, who served as president and CEO of Gap Inc. from 2002-2007, has been named to eBay’s board and will serve on the Audit Committee as well as the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee.

Gaithersburg, Md. -- Retail Properties of America, Inc. announced GreatGatherings a 16,825 sq. ft. store will join Downtown Crown located in Gaithersburg, Maryland. RPAI acquired Downtown Crown in January 2015 with a lease rate of 77.5%, the centers lease rate is now 88.7%.

These are challenging times for the nation’s chief information officers — and speed is of the essence.

An annual survey of global CIOs found that digital innovation is actively causing disruption to business models, requiring IT leaders to move quickly to deliver new infrastructures, platforms and applications to meet customers’ fast-changing needs. An overwhelming two-thirds of all CIOs believe digital disruption is now a very significant change to business, according to the “Harvey Nash CIO Survey 2015,” done in association with KPMG.

Experiential retail is alive and well at PGA Tour Superstore.

The company, which has the distinction of being the PGA Tour’s exclusive off-course/off-airport retail partner, has built a business dedicated to providing golf enthusiasts of all levels access to the same technology and expertise that card-carrying Tour pros enjoy. Stores are staffed with teaching professionals and have multiple state-of-the-art swing simulators, practice hitting bays and large putting greens. There is also an in-house club-making and repair facility.

Detroit’s fledging reputation as a Midwest Silicon Valley took took a big step forward with the news that Amazon is creating a tech hub in the Motor City.

“Michigan is a rapidly growing technology corridor and we’re eager to bring the incredible local Detroit talent to Amazon,” Peter Faricy, VP for Amazon Marketplace, told the Detroit. Free Press.

Michael Rouleau was never seen as a long-term leadership solution as Tuesday Morning’s CEO, but the veteran retailer’s abrupt departure with no immediate successor named reveals the off-price retailer lacked a succession plan.

The company said Rouleau, 77, will remain in a consultative capacity until March 31, 2016 and that it had created a new Office of the Chairman led by current Board Chairman Steven Becker to support oversight of the company’s strategic initiatives until a new CEO can be hired.

The top executive at Gap Inc.’s fastest growing division, Old Navy, has resigned to become CEO of Ralph Lauren.

Gap Inc. said that Stefan Larsson would step down as global president of Old Navy effective October 2, 2015, and the division would be led on an interim basis by Jill Stanton, executive VP of global product at Old Navy.

After a new donation pledge from Publix Super Markets, the international nonprofit Habitat for Humanity will be able to build 40 new houses in 2016 in the Southeast, where Publix serves all of its customers.