Corporate Governance

Procter & Gamble is expanding its outreach to African American consumers with its sponsorship of the 2015 Black Girls Rock! Awards.

The company, together with Target, will celebrate African American girls who are making a positive difference and will invite the community to “change the beauty conversation” by joining P&G’s Imagine a Future (IAF) program.

Walmart plans to improve the customer experience, invest in its grocery business, and put pressure on suppliers to drive down prices, according to a Bloomberg report.

Seattle – Amazon.com is addressing the need for more science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education with the launch of a new online store focused on toys and games that help kids learn STEM subjects and ideas.

In addition to focusing on the core subjects, STEM also focuses on how they relate to each other and the real world.

According to Amazon, it selected the initial assortment of STEM toys because they “have clear goals and encourage kids to learn STEM skills while having fun.”

Phoenix – PetSmart Inc. has named six new executives to its senior leadership team.  The additions reflect the first major hires by PetSmart’s newly installed president and CEO, Michael Massey.

Joining the Company are: Eran Cohen, executive VP of customer experience; Ron Cooperman, executive VP of strategy, Initiatives and real estate; Ted Passig, executive VP of buying and sourcing; Phil Vostrejs, executive VP of merchandise planning allocation, distribution and supply chain; and Brian Amkraut, senior VP of real estate.

Armonk, N.Y. – The weather is traditionally a topic for conversation when there is nothing else to discuss, but for retailers knowing what the weather will be is a vital concern. IBM and The Weather Company, parent company of the Weather Channel, are partnering to integrate real-time weather insights into business to improve operational performance and decision-making.

Hampstead, Md. – Jos. A. Bank Clothiers is reportedly laying off 122 workers at its corporate headquarters. According to Reuters, the cuts will occur between May and December 2015, and represent about 15% of its total headquarters personnel. The layoffs come nearly one year after the company was acquired by Men’s Wearhouse.

Washington, D.C. - An Obama administration proposal to expand overtime and redefine what it means to be a restaurant or retail manager may harm mangers’ career paths and undermine the quality of customer service they are able to provide. According to a new survey 200 salaried retail and restaurant managers conducted for the National Retail Federation (NRF) by GfK Research, 81% of respondents said there would be an adverse impact on customer service.

Boca Raton, Fla. – A second request for information from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) will reportedly not slow down the pending merger of Staples and Office Depot. According to the South Florida Business Journal, the FTC has requested unspecified additional documents and information from Office Depot.

Seattle – Online specialty footwear retailers Shoes.com, OnlineShoes.com and Shoeme.ca will now be known as Shoes.com. Despite the new parent brand, OnlineShoes.com and Shoeme.ca will continue to operate under their individual names.

Aliso Viejo, Calif. – Global e-commerce site Rakuten.com is now accepting Bitcoin as payment by integrating Bitnet’s payment processing platform. Rakuten.com merchants will obtain guaranteed payment, instant global reach with no cross-border fees or chargebacks, with a transaction fees less than that of credit cards.

Rakuten.com shoppers will receive full consumer protection, including multi-sig escrow services for high-value items.