Retailer Campaigns

Katy, Texas -- After placing some restricted Houston Astros merchandise on the sales floors of several of its Houston stores, Academy Sports + Outdoors issued a formal apology to the Major League Baseball team and its fans.

"We express our apologies to Houston Astros fans, our partners at the Houston Astros ball club, along with Major League Baseball for inadvertently releasing the new Astros t-shirts in limited quantity," said Rodney Faldyn, Academy Sports + Outdoors president and CEO.

General Growth Properties’ Fashion Place shopping center in Murray, Utah, celebrated “Fashion Place Day” on Oct. 15 to commemorate the mall’s 40-year history.

A 15-ft. Mall of Memories wall marked the occasion, and was accompanied by a mayoral declaration and a week of special offers, giveaways, retro fashion shows and a mall-wide birthday party honoring 40 kids affected by cancer.

“We think Fashion Place looks fabulous for being 40,” said Natalie Watson, Fashion Place senior marketing manager.

Bossier City, La. -- Covington, La.-based Stirling Properties announced the opening of a new 7,918-sq.-ft. Santa Fe Cattle Co. restaurant at its Stirling Bossier Shopping Center property, located on Airline Drive in Bossier City.

Headquartered in Baton Rouge, La., Santa Fe Cattle Co. operates 19 locations in six states, including four in Louisiana.

Bloomfield Hills, Mich. -- Taubman Centers announced it has hired Colleen O’Neill as the general manager of Taubman Prestige Outlets Chesterfield, effective Nov. 5. She will be responsible for overseeing center operations as well as retailer and community relations, marketing and sponsorship.

O’Neill was the former marketing director of Saks Fifth Avenue at Plaza Frontenac in St. Louis. The announcement of her hiring follows Taubman’s decision to move up the opening date of the high-end outlet shopping center to August 2, 2013.

WAYNE, N.J. — Toys"R"Us' first owned tablet is now available in stores and online. The company first announced the Tabeo, the first-ever consumer electroncs device, a month ago.

New York — Some Facebook investors may be feeling a bit disgruntled, but Walmart couldn’t be happier with its experience with the social network.

Facebook investors are still a disgruntled lot, but Walmart couldn’t be happier with its experience with the social network.