Marketing

Canton, Mass. - Dunkin' Donuts, is recruiting franchisees throughout the state of Louisiana. The company is placing an emphasis on the New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Lake Charles and Lafayette markets.

Currently, there are nine Dunkin' Donuts restaurants in the state.
 

Advance Auto Parts has appointed a longtime GE executive as it supply chain leader. 

Todd Greener has been named senior vice president and will lead the company’s supply chain function in its efforts to support Advance Auto Parts stores and customers.

American Eagle Outfitters reported better-than-expected revenue for the fourth quarter, as an improved assortment and fewer discounts drove sales.

The teen apparel retailer said it earned $61.6 million, or 32 cents a share, in the fourth quarter, up from $10.5 million, or 5 cents a share, in the year-earlier period. Revenue grew 3% to $1.07 billion. Same store sales, which includes online sales, were flat, but they beat management forecasts.

Hangzhou, China - Aliyun, Alibaba’s cloud computing business, is opening its first overseas data center, in California’s Silicon Valley, in what seems to be a competitive move into the space currently dominated by Amazon Web Services. The center will initially target Chinese enterprises based in the United States with the plan to gradually expand its products and services to international clients in the second half of this year.

Pittsburgh – American Eagle Outfitters Inc. soared past Wall Street expectations in the fourth quarter, helped by reduced promotions and discounts and the elimination of asset impairments. The teen retailer on Wednesday posted better-than-expected fourth quarter results and issued an upbeat outlook for the first quarter, projecting earnings of $0.09 to $0.12 per share, versus analysts' estimates of $0.07 per share.

The former chairman and CEO of Home Depot is joining the board of directors at Pep Boys.

Robert Nardelli, the former chairman and CEO of Home Depot and Chrysler, has been appointed to Pep Boys’ board of directors, bringing the current size of the board to nine directors.

Chairman of the board, Robert Hotz, said: “We are pleased to have Bob join our board and welcome his extensive operating expertise and insight.”

New York -- Robert Nardelli, the former chairman and CEO of The Home Depot and Chrysler, is joining Pep Boys.

Nardelli has been appointed to Pep Boys’ board of directors, bringing the current size of the board to nine directors.

E-commerce home furnishings company Wayfair continues to lose money, but not as much as analysts had expected.

The company announced it posted a loss of 18 cents per share in the fourth quarter, below the 28-cent loss analysts forecasted. Wayfair generated $1.3 billion in net revenue last year, up 44% over 2013. Sales in its direct-retail segment, which consists of sales from five key brands, surged to $347 million as the number of active customers increased by 54%.