Marketing

Dallas -- Epsilon, an Alliance Data company, has signed a multi-year agreement with Sephora to provide targeted email marketing services focused on driving sales and creating a more personalized experience for customers across Sephora's omnichannel marketing platforms.  

Under the terms of the deal, Epsilon will provide a full suite of permission-based email marketing services including account and campaign management, strategy and email delivery.

New York -- ICA Sweden has signed a licensing agreement with Starbucks Coffee Company to open Starbucks retail stores in the grocery store channel in Sweden. The cafés will be operated by ICA according to the Starbucks licensing concept and under the Starbucks brand.

Initially, the plan is to open three Starbucks retail stores during 2015. These will then be evaluated before a decision is made on the possible establishment of more cafés.

Top Dick’s Sporting Goods executives Joe Schmidt and John Duken have announced plans to leave the retailer before the end of the fiscal year.

Schmidt has served as Dick’s president and COO since 2009. He joined the company in 1990 and has served in key leadership roles with the retailer during his 24 year tenure. Schmidt will remain with the company until the end of the fiscal year, but could leave sooner once a successor is named.

The Men's Wearhouse board of directors has promoted Mary Beth Blake to the position of president and chief merchandising officer. She was previously EVP and chief merchandising officer, and will continue reporting to CEO Doug Ewert.

"Mary Beth has been an integral part of our management team since 2008 and has spent her entire career developing creative initiatives to drive sales, expand gross margins and build successful teams," said Ewert.

Build-A-Bear Workshop has appointed Voin Todorovic as its new CFO, reporting to CEO Sharon John.

"Voin has a solid background in linking financial goals and business objectives. I am excited to have him join the team as we continue to evolve our business model to leverage the strength of the Build-A-Bear brand to drive toward the Company’s stated objectives of sustainable, profitable growth,” said John.

Brookstone president and CEO James M. Speltz has resigned. The product development company and specialty retailer with 240 stores in malls and airports across the U.S has appointed chief merchandising officer Steve Schwartz as interim president and CEO.  

Dallas -- Neiman Marcus Group has signed an agreement to acquire the German luxury fashion e-commerce site  Mytheresa.com and Theresa, its flagship Munich store from Christoph and Susanne Botschen and Acton Capital Partners. The transaction is expected to close later this year.

Boca Raton, Fla. – Office Depot Inc. will transfer the listing of its common stock from the New York Stock Exchange to the Nasdaq Global Select Market. The company expects its common stock to cease trading on the NYSE effective at the close of business on Sept. 25, and to commence trading on Nasdaq on Sept. 26, when the market opens.

The company will retain its current ticker symbol “ODP” when trading begins on Nasdaq.

Aliso Viejo, Calif. -- Johnny Rockets announced a new concept, called Johnny Rockets Route 66, which will take the form of four prototypes: drive-thru, drive-in, food truck and pop-up. The first prototypes are to debut as early as fourth quarter 2014.

The drive-thru prototype is targeted for high volume, regional travel plazas located off major freeways and highways. It will range from 1,800sq. ft. to 3,300 sq. ft. and feature an optimized menu, digital projectors and technology to enhance the guest experience.
 

New York – Ann Inc. is publicly responding to an open letter sent by activist investors Engine Capital and Red Alder on Aug. 25, which urged the company to sell at a substantial premium above current stock price. In a press release, Ann Inc. said its board is “very active and consistently has been, and remains, focused on enhancing shareholder value.”

Ann Inc. also said its board regularly reviews all options and uses a financial advisor to help evaluate them.