Corporate Governance

Jeffrey Thomas was elevated to the role of SVP of merchandise operations at Family Dollar as the retailer looks to reignite sales under the leadership of chief merchandising officer Jason Reiser.

Thomas previously served as vp of merchant services and fill a position previously held by Scott Zucker who left the company. Thomas will report to Jason Reiser, Family Dollar’s EVP and chief merchandising officer.

The National Retail Federation (NRF) and the Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) have asked an appeals court to overturn a federal judge’s approval of a lawsuit settlement regarding Visa and MasterCard’s credit card swipe fees, saying it was negotiated by only a handful of merchants and would do nothing to bring the fees under control.

New York — M-A-C Cosmetics has signed a long-term lease at 853 Broadway in Manhattan’s Union Square, according to The Feil Organization, the building’s owner and manager. RKF represented M-A-C in the lease negotiations. The retailer plans to open in time for the 2014 holiday shopping season.

M-A-C will occupy a space on the ground floor and project a two-level storefront plus 14 ft. of frontage along 14th Street, giving it excellent visibility.

San Jose – PayPal is reportedly expanding the customer service center located in its European headquarters based in Dundalk, Ireland. According to the Irish Independent, PayPal will make a “massive investment” in the center in the next four years that will add 400 workers.

The expansion will bring the combined PayPal-EBay workforce in Dundalk to 1,850. New jobs will include customer solutions, risk operations and telesales positions.

Matthews, N.C. -- Family Dollar Stores, announced that it has named Jeffrey Thomas senior VP-merchandise operations. He replaces Scott Zucker, who left the company at the end of May.

Thomas joined Family Dollar in 2003 as a director of vendor performance. He went on to assume roles with increasing responsibilities, and in 2013, was named VP-merchant services.

Amazon has thrown its hat into the smartphone ring. At an event in its hometown of Seattle, the online retailer unveiled Fire, the first smartphone it has ever designed.

In a marketplace that’s already crowded with the latest iPhones, Andriods and Blackberrys, Amazon has invested in two new technologies — Dynamic Perspective and Firefly — that make Fire a compelling product that won’t get lost in the mix.  

New York -- DreamWorks Animation is looking to bring a little bit of Hollywood magic to the nation's shopping malls. The film studio has developed a high-tech Santa Claus  experience, billed as "DreamHouse," that it hopes to roll out to malls for the holidays, with two developers, Forest City and General Growth Properties already buying in, the New York Times reported.
    

During the World Cup, Bud Light will donate to the Hispanic Scholarship Fund for each goal scored, up to $250,000. Though Budweiser is the official Beer of the World Cup, 2014 is the first year that Bud Light has been a partner of the month-long event.

"Integrating our sponsorship with education is at the core of our company values,” Bud Light Brand Manager Miguel Nigrinis said. “It's a winning recipe for Latinos that aspire to hold a university degree.”