Marketing Tactics

Framingham, Mass. – Staples has named a veteran marketing executive, Frank Bifulco, as executive VP marketing, effective June 23. Bifulco previously served as chief marketing officer at Home Depot.

In the newly created role, Bifulco will lead marketing across Staples. He will report to Ron Sargent, chairman and CEO, and will be a member of the company’s executive committee.

New York -- Starbucks Corp. plans to bring its La Boulange Bakery café chain to Los Angeles, opening a location with extensive food offerings. The eatery is scheduled to open June 11, and will also serve beer, wine, cocktails as well as milkshakes, the Associated Press reported.

The smart shopping brand and magazine All You from Time Inc., doubled its Facebook community during the past year and recently surpassed one million fans.

I indulged in a shopping center grand opening on May 22 – and I’m glad I did.

Themed “Indulge,” the opening event marked the official unveiling of the nation’s first truly downtown outlet center, Outlet Collection at Riverwalk, located in the heart of New Orleans, and built by West Coast developer Howard Hughes Corp.

Pittsburgh -- Dick’s Sporting Goods on Tuesday announced grand openings for three new stores.

The company will hold opening celebrations June 6 through June 8 for the following locations: Lawrence, Kansas; Culpepper, Virginia; Arden, North Carolina.

With the openings, Dick’s will operate 570 stores nationwide.

The car Dollar General sponsored in this year’s Indianapolis 500 may have finished 14th, but the retailer’s race team gained notoriety for another reason.
 
For the first time ever, the pit crew for the Dollar General sponsored Schmidt Peterson Motorsports team contained a female member tire changer. Jessica Mace became the first woman to “go over the wall,” racing parlance used to described those who work on cars when they enter the pit stall, during the 98th running of the Indianapolis 500.
 

Minneapolis -- In a move to further boost its marketing organization, Target Corp. has hired Kristi Argyilan as senior VP, media and guest engagement, effective June 2.

Argyilan comes to the Target from IPG Mediabrands where she was most recently the president at Magna Global, North America. She has also held senior positions with advertising and integrated marketing agencies including Arnold, Hill Holiday, and Goodby, Silverstein & Partners.

The Lovely Candy Company has expanded its gluten- and GMO-free line with a gluten-free licorice, which it touts as the first gluten-free extruded licorice product in North America.

Branded as Lovely Licorice, the product is marketed to consumers with food sensitivities such as celiac disease. The gluten-free licorice is the brainchild of company founder Mike Nakamura, whose wife has not been able to have licorice because of her gluten-free dietary restraints. Nakamura founded the company in 2013 as a result of her request for licorice she could eat.