Marketing

Washington, D.C. – Regional pizza chain &pizza may not have the recognition or reach of its larger competitors, bur the company is taking a step in that direction with a $10 million investment for growth and expansion. The company plans to leverage the investment, along with the investors' experience in branded consumer retail, for expansion of its stores in key markets.  

Currently, &pizza operates nine locations in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area, with six more slated to open in the first half of 2015.

Boston -- Gordon Brothers Group, a global advisory, restructuring and investment firm specializing in the retail, consumer products, industrial and real estate sectors, announced the appointment of Ian Levine as managing director, head of business development, and Blair Nelson as managing director, corporate development, to Gordon Brothers Group’s management team.

New York - Kenneth Cole Productions Inc. has appointed apparel industry veteran Marc Schneider as CEO, effective Feb. 23. Schneider will assume responsibility for the company's retail, outlet, e-commerce, international, licensing and wholesale businesses. He takes over from founder Kenneth Cole, who has served as interim CEO since February 2011.

Kenneth Cole Productions Inc. has appointed an apparel industry veteran as CEO.

Marc Schneider will assume responsibility for the company's retail, outlet, e-commerce, international, licensing and wholesale businesses. He takes over from founder Kenneth Cole, who has served as interim CEO since February 2011.

Kohl’s is standing behind its stated mission to “give back” to the communities it serves by announcing that it donated nearly $18 million in 2014.

The community grants benefited more than 8,500 nonprofits across the country in 2014 through Kohl’s best-in-class Associates in Action (AiA) volunteer program.

Columbus, Ohio -- Vineyard Vines, a retailer of preppy inspired clothing and accessories, has opened a 3,000-sq.-ft. store in Easton Town Center. The store is the brand’s third Midwest location after Chicago and St. Louis, and is part of a plan to open 10 more stores in major U.S. markets by the end of 2015.

San Francisco – The mobile payment market continues to heat up. On the heels of Samsung’s news that it will acquire mobile payment firm LoopPay, Visa Inc. announced it is expanding its online payment service, Visa Checkout. The financial services giant said the digital checkout service, which launched in three markets in summer 2014, will be available in a total of 16 markets by the end of 2015.

Washington, D.C. -- The Merchants Payments Coalition applauded U.S. District Judge Nicolas Garaufis’ ruling on Thursday that American Express credit card rules constitute an unlawful restraint on trade.

The judge found that the credit card giant violated U.S. antitrust laws by barring merchants from encouraging customers to use one credit card over another. In a 150-page opinion, he wrote that such a practice constitutes “an unlawful restraint on trade.”