Corporate Governance

SALT LAKE CITY — Overstock.com has promoted Brian Popelka to the position of SVP of customer and partner care. Formerly VP of customer care, Popelka will establish and maintain relationships with the company's drop-ship fulfillment partners, in addition to his previous duties.

Under his direction, the customer care department has repeatedly ranked in the top four of the former NRF Foundation/American Express Customer Choice Awards and earned the Gartner Gold Award and the 2011 Stevie Award for customer care.

INDIANAPOLIS — Kroger central division employees working at Kroger stores in the Indianapolis area have ratified a new four-year labor agreement with UFCW Local 700.

Fitness and lifestyle brand Athleta is sponsoring this year's Esprit de She 5K and 10K races, designed exclusively for women, to be held Thursday, June 27, at the Koka Booth Amphitheatre in Cary, N.C., just 15 minutes from downtown Raleigh.

Athleta's mission to "celebrate and inspire women athletes of all levels" while outfitting them with apparel geared toward athletic pursuits that include yoga, Pilates, running, swimming and biking, is in line with the Esprit de She event.

FOOTHILL RANCH, Calif. — The Wet Seal has appointed retail veteran Lesli Gilbert to the position of EVP, stores and operations. She replaces Barbara Cook, who resigned as the company's SVP of store operations in February.

New York -- Bob Valair, director, energy & environmental management for Staples, will discuss how energy management is helping the retail chain save resources and add to the bottom line during a Chain Store Age Webinar on Tuesday, June 11, 2 p.m. ET (11 a.m PT).

Valair will also discuss Staples’ ongoing partnership with the EnergyStar program.   

Click here to register.

New York -- Isaac Mizrahi has returned to the retail scene. Xcel Brands on Friday announced the debut of Isaac Mizrahi New York, in Southampton, N.Y. (Xcel is the designer’s parent company).

"This is a very exciting opportunity for Xcel and the brand,” said Isaac Mizrahi, creative director, Xcel Brands. “It's great for the consumer to see all products coming together in our own new retail environment."

Chicago -- A lot of IT practitioners talk about “keeping the lights on,” or executing simple but essential tasks such as making sure an e-commerce site is actually up and running. For Michael Hines, VP of e-commerce technology at The Jones Group, keeping the lights on involves a lot more than flipping a switch.

Plano, Texas -- Another executive hired by former J.C. Penney CEO Ron Johnson has apparently left the chain. Kristen Blum, executive VP and chief technology officer, is no longer with Penney, according to various reports that cited a note to investors by Citi analyst Deborah Weinswig. Penney has yet to officially announce her departure, which was also reported by Women’s Wear Daily.

Bentonville, Ark. -- Wal-Mart Stores Inc. announced a $15 billion share buyback program at its annual shareholder meeting on Friday. It also said it expects to generate $10 billion in global e-commerce sales by the end of the fiscal year.

The new buyback program replaces the previous $15 billion plan, which had about $712 million remaining under the 2011 authorization.  

J.C. Penney has a lot riding on its new home department makeover. Industry analysts say the revamp, a central element of former CEO Ron Johnson’s plan to transform the chain, is critical to the department store’s future. Home represented 12% of Penney’s sales in 2012, down from 15% in 2011. It was the worst performing category last year.