Strategy

Hasbro has partnered with teen retailer Aéropostale for an exclusive line featuring the Battleship and G.I. Joe brands.

The line will include men's graphic t-shirts featuring Battleship and G.I. Joe images ahead of the debuts of "Battleship" on May 18 and "G.I. Joe: Retaliation" on June 29.

SAN BRUNO, Calif. — HumanKind Water, PlateTopper and SnapIt Eyeglass Repair Kit have the distinction of being the winners of Walmart's Get on the Shelf contest -- beating out more than 4,000 inventors, entrepreneurs and small businesses to claim the coveted prize of being carried at Walmart.com and in Walmart U.S. stores.

NEW YORK — Several apparel retailers, including Limited Brands, Zumiez and Ross Stores, posted better-than-expected sales in April. It was widely expected that an earlier Easter, which pushed demand into March, and cool weather would hurt sales.

Limited Brands, parent of Victoria’s Secret, reported a 7% rise in same-store sales for April, beating estimates.

NEW YORK — Best Buy’s chief marketing officer, Barry Judge, has resigned. His resignation follows the departure last month of chief executive Brian Dunn.

Judge is “leaving the company to explore the next chapter in his career,” Greg Hitt, a spokesman for Best Buy, said by e-mail, in a Bloomberg report.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Limited Brands has named Charlie McGuigan, CEO of Mast Global, the company's sourcing and production arm, as COO of Limited Brands. In addition to retaining his current responsibilities, he will assume leadership of enterprise operations.

Martyn Redgrave, Limited Brands chief administrative officer, will transition to the role of senior advisor for the company later this summer.

MINNEAPOLIS — Pete Van Helden, EVP retail operations for Supervalu, will be leaving the company this spring. Taking his place will be Kevin Holt.

"This was a mutually beneficial decision that comes at the right time for both Supervalu and Van Helden, as the company continues to implement its business transformation strategy and as Van Helden moves on to opportunities that will better utilize his strengths," the company stated in a release.

NEW YORK — It’s looking like Walmart’s upcoming annual meeting is going to be a bittersweet affair as the company observes its 50th anniversary against the backdrop of an unfolding Mexican bribery scandal and an appeal from a major shareholder this week urging a no vote on five board members.

The seventh annual Best Companies for Leadership Study conducted by the global consulting firm the Hay Group ranked Walmart eighth.

Walmart’s eighth  place ranking on the top 20 list is one notch better than the prior year, but slightly below the company’s 6th place ranking in 2009 when it made the list for the first time.

After the pounding Walmart and its president and CEO Mike Duke have taken in recent weeks in the media over the alleged Mexican bribery and cover up scandal detailed by the New York Times, the company and its leader received some good news this week from the Network of Executive Women.

Cindy Davis, Walmart’s EVP global customer insights and analytics, is set to headline the second annual SHOP conference next week presented by MARS Advertising and the Center for Retailing Excellence in the Sam M. Walton College of Business at the University of Arkansas.