Corporate Governance

Visa has entered into a partnership with Borderfree, a leading international cross-border e-commerce solutions provider, to offer customers in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Jordan special promotions from retailers in the United States.

A range of new Samsung brand smart printers and tablet computers are being added to the product mix at Office Depot and OfficeMax stores following an expanded partnership between the retailer and consumer electronics company.

Dr. Ashish K. Khandpur is 3M’s new SVP of research and development and chief technology officer, a role that carries high innovation expectations at a company with a reputation for game-changing product development.

Ikea is submitting plans to Clark County, Nevada, for a Las Vegas-area store that would increase the Swedish retailer’s presence in the western United States. The application marks the beginning of the governmental approval process that could lead to the store’s opening as early as summer 2016.

Until then, customers will have to shop at the closest locations in Covina, California; Tempe, Arizona, or Draper, Utah; or online at IKEA-USA.com.

Unified Grocers has promoted Terry Bodwin to VP, chief human resources officer. She was previously VP, employee and labor relations.

The appointment is part of a restructure designed to integrate and align all aspects of human resources company-wide. In her new role, Bodwin will report to Christine Neal, SVP, finance and treasurer.

New Orleans Saints quarterback and Texas native Drew Brees will become mayor for the day of Comfort, Texas, on July 23 when the small town is temporarily renamed Advanced Comfort as part of a promotion for a new line of Wrangler jeans.

In celebration of the launch, Wrangler will kick off a community-based initiative striving to improve towns across America that begins on Wednesday, July 23, when the town of Comfort is renamed Advanced Comfort for six months.

First Data Corporation reported solid June spending growth in a number of sectors in its First Data SpendTrend analysis for May 31, 2014 through June 30, 2014, compared to June 1, 2013 through July 1, 2013.

SpendTrend tracks same-store point-of-sale data by credit, signature debit, PIN debit, EBT, closed-loop prepaid cards and checks from nearly 4 million merchant locations serviced by First Data.

It is one of the smaller acquisitions CVS Caremark has done, but the purchase of the 33-unit Miami-based Navarro Discount Pharmacy could have big implications.

CVS Caremark late Monday said it reached an agreement with Navarro, the largest Hispanic owned drugstore chain in the U.S., to acquire 33 stores and Navarro Health Services, a specialty pharmacy serving patients with complex or chronic diseases. CVS Caremark operates more than 7,600 stores, but said it will continue operating the acquired units under the Navarro banner.

Randolph, N.J. -- Retailers are behind Amazon in analytics maturity, according to a new research report from EKN Research. Eighty percent of retailers say they are behind Amazon in analytics maturity, and 71% of retailers perform either basic analytics reporting or none at all – revealing retailers’ inability to take advantage of the data that is available to them.
 

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Olive Garden has begun the the roll out of a new restaurant remodel design and logo. The company, a division of Darden Restaurants Inc., is also launching an updated web experience and an online to-go platform for desktop and mobile computer users at all its U.S. restaurants.