Events

Fort Worth, Texas -- RadioShack has named marketing and communications executive Merianne Roth as the company’s new VP of communications, a newly created role at the electronics retailer.

She joins RadioShack from the Fort Worth Convention and Visitors Bureau, where she was VP of marketing and communications. Her background includes leadership roles for J.C. Penney, where she was director of consumer brand marketing and publicity, and Pier 1 Imports, where she served as senior manager of public relations.

Chicago - Belk, the nation's largest family owned and operated department store company, was honored as Innovator of the Year at the 2013 Oracle Retail Excellence Awards. The award recipients were announced at Oracle’s annual Oracle Retail CrossTalk customer event, held June 25 to 27 in Chicago.

Other Oracle award winners included the British department store company John Lewis plc for Outstanding Customer Experience, and Deckers Outdoor, the footwear company,  for Outstanding Business Performance.

Minneapolis - Target announced plans to open new stores in Fresno and Rocklin, Calif., in March 2014.

The Fresno store will be part of the Marketplace at El Paseo shopping center. The Rocklin store will be part of the Rocklin Commons shopping center.

The Fresno Northwest store will be approximately 140,000 sq. ft.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Kid Brands' board is going to see some changes, following Hugh Rovit's announcement that he will not be seeking re-election as a director at the company's annual shareholders meeting.

Davenport, Iowa - Von Maur announceed that its newest store, located at the Iowa River Landing in Coralville, Iowa, will open on July 27, 2013.

The 80,000-sq.-ft., free-standing brick store will feature Von Maur's signature exterior entrance and residential ambiance, along with an expansive open floor plan and larger departments that are designed to allow for greater product selection and more easily navigable aisles and common areas.

It seemed like everyone had a take on President Barack Obama’s big climate change speech this week and among them was Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., president and CEO Mike Duke.

Walmart had a comment from Duke ready to go less than an hour after the President concluded his remarks on Tuesday at Georgetown University. As expected, Duke applauded the president and his administration for their commitment to renewable energy and conservation and then piggybacked on the speech to tout Walmart’s own accomplishments and commitment to the renewable energy and conservation.

The Pinnacle Country Club in Rogers, Ark. hosted the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship presented by P&G last week, and this week the golf tournament gave regional charity Cancer Challenge its largest gift ever.

In honor of its 20th anniversary this week, the Cancer Challenge received a $100,000 contribution from Walmart NW Arkansas Championship presented by P&G.

Retailers share online insights

Speakers at the recent Internet Retailer Conference & Exposition in Chicago discussed how the retail industry is using a number of digital technologies to assist performance in areas such as CRM, marketing, driving customer traffic and converting sales. Following are a few brief highlights: