Strategy

Seattle - Blue Nile, Inc. has added Robert van Schoonenberg to its board of directors, effective Feb. 23. van Schoonenberg is chairman and CEO of BayPoint Capital Partners LLC, a private equity firm, and a co-managing partner of AmeriCap Partners LLC, a growth capital investment firm.

Prior to sale of the company to a strategic investor in June 2010, he was an investor in and served as chairman of Premiere Entertainment LLC, a company in the business of digital broadcast production.

Barnes & Noble has changed its mind about which business to spin off. But in the end, the bookseller will still have to compete with Amazon.

Barnes & Noble now says it is looking to raise as much as $775 million by spinning off its college bookstore business, traditionally the strongest performing division for Barnes & Noble. Last May the company said it would be spinning off its Nook division after disappointing sales. 

Dublin, Calif. – Costs and expenses did not grow at the same rate as sales during the fourth quarter of fiscal 2014 at Ross Stores Inc., resulting in significant net income growth compared to the prior year period. Ross Stores’ net earnings grew 14% to $248.53 million, from $217.95 million.

Sales climbed 10% to $3.03 billion, from $2.74 billion. Same-store sales rose 6%.

San Francisco  -- Gap Inc. is looking to add a little pink magic to its product design — and is bringing back a company veteran to do it. The retailer has named Wendi Goldman, creator of Victoria’s Secret “Pink” marketing/merchandising campaign, as executive VP of product design and development, effective March 16.

The 2,200 store Bridgestone Retail Operations group is refining its approach to a key supplier relationship with a new deal involving Shell Lubricants Americas.

Beginning Jan. 1, 2016, Bridgestone Retail Operations (BSRO) said Shell would serve as its supplier of choice for automotive lubricants at the company’s more than 2,200 U.S. tire and automotive service centers.

Los Angeles -- Commercial builder Bernards has appointed industry veteran Joseph Didone to the position of VP. In his role, Didone will provide executive-level oversight for complex Bernards projects.
 
Didone is a 27-year veteran of the construction industry. During his career, he has managed a number of high-profile construction projects, including the renovation of the Hollywood Bowl Museum.
 

Dublin, Calif. -- dd’s Discounts, a division of Ross Stores, Inc., will open a new store in Waco, Texas. The new store is slated to open Feb. 28 and is located in the Parkdale Shopping Center at North Valley Mills Drive and Bosque Boulevard, 13 miles southwest of Baylor University.  

Texas is the retailer’s second largest state with a total of 32 stores.  Including this new location, dd’s Discounts will operate over 155 locations in 15 states.
 

The recently merged Albertsons and Safeway organization has appointed Justin Dye as chief administrative officer of the combined company.   Lee Wilson, who previously held this position with the company, has elected to stay in his role as consultant and not go forward as an officer with the newly combined organization.