Strategy

San Jose, Calif. – July 20 will always be a huge day in the history of PayPal Holdings Inc. PayPal completed its separation from eBay Inc. on July 17, but as of today is trading on the Nasdaq Stock Market under the ticker symbol “PYPL” as an independent public company

New York – Barnes & Noble Inc. is not playing around when it comes to digital retail or its Nook e-reader. The retailer has named Frederic D. Argir as VP and chief digital officer overseeing the e-commerce and Nook businesses, which are part of the retail division.

Argir joins Barnes & Noble from Toys ‘R Us Inc., where he also served as chief digital officer. Barnes & Noble also said that Mahesh Veerina, president of the Nook consumer business, will leave the company on Feb. 1, 2016.

Framingham, Mass. – Staples Inc., famous for the “easy button,” is partnering with UPS to ease the shipment of UPS packages from any U.S. store location. Customers now can charge the cost of shipments at Staples to their UPS account, which means they don't have to prepare labels ahead of time and will see the invoice, and any customized rates, on their regular UPS invoice.

Aliso Viejo, Calif. – Count Johnny Rockets among those looking forward to starting college later this year. Johnny Rockets is launching a further expansion into college and university campuses through its Express prototype.

Johnny Rockets Express, a quick-service prototype aimed at universities, airports, malls and other entertainment destinations, offers flexible floor plans with options ranging from a 150-sq.-ft., free-standing kiosk to a 1,100-sq.-ft. restaurant.

Dublin, Calif. - Ross Stores has some big plans when it comes to opening new stores. Ross is opening of 19 Ross Dress for Less and eight dd's Discounts stores across 15 different states in July.

These new locations are part of the off-price retailer's 2015 expansion plans to add a total of approximately 90 stores during the year, including 70 Ross and 20 dd's Discounts. Ultimately, the retailer believes Ross Dress for Less can grow to 2,000 locations and dd's Discounts can become a chain of 500 stores

Houston – Francesca’ Holdings Corp. has appointed Martyn Redgrave as a member of the board of directors. Redgrave served as Limited Brands' executive VP and chief administration officer from March 2005 to August 2012 and also served as CFO from January 2006 to May 2007.

Hangzhou, China - Alibaba Group is providing the Chinese arm of a major global CPG company direct access to the Chinese consumer market. Alibaba and Unilever China are launching a comprehensive strategic partnership focused on areas including rural China penetration, cross-border e-commerce, Big Data-driven advertising, and supply chain optimization.

This agreement builds on a partnership that started five years ago with a single Tmall store. Through this strategic partnership, Alibaba Group and Unilever China will work together to:

Sunnyvale, Calif. – Yahoo Inc. has initially filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to spin off its remaining holdings in Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. into a new public company called Aabaco Holdings Inc. Yahoo initially announced its plans to spin off its Alibaba stake in January 2015.

Scottsdale, Ariz. – Kahala Brands isn’t taking chances when it comes to payment card security. The restaurant franchisor group is naming Cybera as an authorized provider of payment card security to all 2,600 of Kahala Brands' store locations.

Montvale, N.J. – The rumors are true. As expected, the Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company Inc. (A&P) has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

In a brief statement on its website, privately held A&P says it has secured financing of $100 million and voluntarily filed for chapter. A&P has also entered agreements to sell 120 stores for $600 million and will close more of its 296 stores in the near future.