Corporate Governance

Payvision, an independent payment services provider, has added JCB Card to its global payment portfolio. As the only international payment card brand based in Japan, JCB has a strong presence in Asia, while processing secure payment transactions for its expanding network of 24 million merchants worldwide.

Mount Vernon, Ill. — Sansone Group and Pine Tree Commercial Realty LLC have signed a lease extension with Subway restaurant at Times Square Mall in Mount Vernon, Ill. As part of the extension, Subway will expand its restaurant by approximately 500 sq. ft.

Sansone Group (www.sansonegroup.com) and Pine Tree (www.pinetreecommercial.com) own the 269,328-sq.-ft. center in partnership with the Wanxiang America Real Estate Group.

FoodMinds, a food and nutrition consulting and communications agency, has appointed former Campbell Soup executive Juli Mandel Sloves as SVP and Julie Alessi, RD, as a senior account executive.

Sloves, a 12-year veteran of Campbell Soup Company with more than 20 years of communications experience, was most recently senior manager of global R&D communications at Campbell. Prior to that, she led nutrition and wellness communications for Campbell North America brands.

Washington, D.C. -- Retailers, advertisers and marketers called on Congress today to involve the Federal Trade Commission in efforts to eliminate frivolous patent lawsuits, saying vague letters sent out by “patent trolls” demanding licensing fees amount to unfair and deceptive practices. Patent trolls are companies formed to develop potential patent-infringement lawsuits without manufacturing their own products.

Leveraging inventory while driving consumption is the topic of a presentation scheduled for next week in Northwest Arkansas by Walmart’s senior director of consumables replenishment Kendall Trainor.

Trainor is the featured speaker at a breakfast meeting organized by Doing Business in Bentonville. From 7-9 a.m. Wednesday, November 13, Trainor will share insights on Walmart’s top five inventory priorities for the coming fiscal year.

New York – Retailers across a variety of verticals reported improved same-store sales during October 2013, compared to the same month in the previous year. Even embattled department store retailer J.C. Penney saw its same-store sales grow for the first time since December 2011, and specialty and apparel retail conglomerate L Brands and discount club retailer PriceSmart reported particularly impressive same-store sales results.

I’m sure I’m not the only one who has begun to notice some changes in that most iconic of holiday shopping events: Black Friday. From earlier start times, to new and more elaborate marketing and promotional efforts, Black Friday has evolved into something very different than a one-day holiday season kick-off sale. This year, we are already seeing an expansion of that trend, including changes that might give us insights into the mindset of many brick-and-mortar retailers as they prepare for the final sprint to the seasonal finish line.

Whole Food’s said it gained market share during the third quarter, but the 5.9% same store sales increase the company reported fell short of expectations and the company tempered its outlook for 2014.