Marketing

Loveland, Colo. -- Soma opened a new store on July 12 at The Promenade Shops at Centerra, in Loveland, Colorado.

Soma, a division of Chico’s FAS, currently operates 264 boutiques nationwide, as well as its online presence at soma.com.

Rutherford, N.J. -- RKF announced that two brokerage professionals have been promoted in its New Jersey office. Glenn Beyer has been promoted from managing director to senior managing director, while Conor O’Hara was promoted from canvasser to associate.

G&K Services, a service-focused market leader of branded uniform and facility services programs in the United States and the largest such provider in Canada, has added Frito-Lay North America president Thomas R. Greco to its board of directors and its compensation committee.

Hampshire Group signed a master supply agreement with Levi Strauss & Company in which Hampshire will supply knit shirts, woven shirts and sweaters to Dockers’ global business.

IID, a cybersecurity company that provides the platform to easily exchange cyber threat intelligence between enterprises and governments, has expanded its executive team with the addition of Bob Dunne as VP of sales.

Dunne will oversee IID's global sales team, which is focused on helping support the growing demand for its platform to exchange cyber threat intelligence, ActiveTrust.

The board of directors at the Sherwin-Williams Company elected Matthew Thornton III as its newest member.

Effective July 16, Thornton will join the board as its tenth director, as well as a member of its audit committee.

Staples has officially launched the 2014 back-to-school season with its Make More Happen for Less promotion, which offers customers three ways to save on products.

“This year, Staples will Make More Happen for Less with guaranteed savings and exciting products not found anywhere else,” said Demos Parneros, president of North American stores and online, Staples. “Our 110% Price Match Guarantee, Staples Less List and Weekly Hot Deals let customers find everything they need to succeed in school — at great prices.”

New York -- The daily-deals website LivingSocial on Tuesday named Gautam Thakar, a longtime eBay executive, as its incoming president and CEO. Thakar heads the e-commerce giant's Shopping.com price comparison site.

He will replace co-founder and outgoing CEO Tim O’Shaughnessy by mid-August.

Brooklyn, N.Y. -- Home furnishings retailer West Elm will open in New Orleans on July 24.

Located in the Lower Garden District, the approximately 10,000-sq.-ft. store is designed with installations inspired by New Orleans culture and will feature a local assortment made by Louisiana-based artisans that includes art, leather goods, vases and stationery.

Dublin, Calif. -- Ross Dress for Less (“Ross”) will open a new store in Utah on July 19, in The Shoppes at Lake Park in West Valley City. This increases the number of stores in the state to 16 locations.
      
The opening is part of the retailer’s 2014 expansion program, totaling approximately 75 new locations for the year.

Together, Ross Dress for Less and dd’s Discounts currently operate over 1,300 off-price apparel and home fashion stores in 33 states, the District of Columbia and Guam.