Marketing

ABF Freight has done something no other company in the trucking industry has done before.

The Fort Smith, Ark.-based national carrier was awarded the American Trucking Association’s President’s Trophy for the seventh time during the group’s annual safety and human resources conference in Orlando. ABF Freight also received the trucking industry’s most prestigious award in 1984, 1989, 1993, 1998, 2003 and 2010. No other national carrier has earned the award more than five times.

Clickstop, a multi-brand online retailer, has promoted Sarah Watson to Director of Business Development, moving supplies, for the company’s largest online store, USCargoControl.com.

This promotion is in line with Clickstop’s focus on strength-based approach to employee learning implemented in 2014.  Watson's natural drive to achieve goals, anticipate obstacles, seek consensus and organize work to improve collaboration has propelled her into this new role, according to the company.

Seattle –- Starbucks Corp. topped off a generally successful fourth quarter of fiscal 2014 by swinging to net income of $587.9 million from net loss of $1.23 billion the fourth quarter of the prior fiscal year. The removal of a one-time arbitration charge of $2.8 billion helped bring Starbucks into the black.  

New York –- Online retailer Gilt has added the Alipay EPass payment option to its checkout, making it easier for consumers in China to shop using its e-commerce platform. The partnership provides a more seamless experience for Chinese Gilt members, allowing them to pay through their existing Alipay accounts directly on the Gilt website.  

Salisbury, N.C. -- Meg Ham has been named president of Food Lion effective Nov. 1. She succeeds Beth Newlands Campbell, who is leaving the company for personal and professional reasons.     Ham will lead all Food Lion banner operations, including strategic direction, financial performance, product assortment, pricing, customer service and marketing. She will continue to report to Delhaize America CEO Kevin Holt.    

New York -– Non-recurring items, including charges relating to stock issuance and tax valuation, helped swing Elizabeth Arden Inc. to a net loss of $25.5 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2015, compared to net income of $1.59 million in the same period a year earlier. Declining North American fragrance sales helped reduce net sales 21% to $270.38 million from $343.6 million.  

Hingham, Mass.-- Talbots Inc. will license APT’s software, including its Test & Learn and Market Basket Analyzer platforms, to test and analyze key business initiatives including promotions, merchandising, marketing and store operations. Talbots will use APT’s Test & Learn approach to identify which actions are most successful in improving performance and measure their impact on a test versus control basis.

Los Angeles -- PizzaRev, a fast-casual build-your-own pizza concept, is adding five franchise groups to develop the brand throughout Denver, Washington D.C., Las Vegas, Long Island, New York and Columbus, Ohio. PizzaRev plans to open at least 40 franchise locations across the markets.   Beyond its 12 corporate locations in greater Los Angeles, PizzaRev currently operates franchise locations across four states.  

Fort Lauderdale, Fla. -- Nicole Messer has joined the retail group of Stiles Realty as senior retail associate. In this role, Messer will focus primarily on developing third-party retail leasing and investment sales business in the Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale and Miami markets.  

Bentonville, Ark. –- Wal-Mart is reportedly testing a price-matching program it may use for the upcoming holiday season. According to the Wall Street Journal, Wal-Mart is currently piloting price-matching with local competitors in brick-and-mortar stores but may expand the program nationally and include online competitors like Amazon.com.