Microsoft

Philadelphia -- McDonald’s and Wal-Mart Stores are among the Top 20 companies in the world for leadership, taking the No. 6 and No. 8 spots respectively, according to an annual study by global management firm Hay Group. The two chains were the only retailers to make the list.

On Monday, Barnes & Noble Inc. and Microsoft announced a strategic partnership in a new unnamed Barnes & Noble subsidiary that, for the time being, is being identified as Newco. Here some comments from retail consultant Maggie Gilliam (Gilliam Insights) on the new venture:

NEW YORK and REDMOND, Wash. — Barnes & Noble has formed a partnership with Microsoft that will put Barnes & Noble's college and digital business under a new subsidiary, referred to for now as Newco. According to a press release, Microsoft will make a $300 million investment in Newco at a post-money valuation of $1.7 billion in exchange for an approximately 17.6% equity stake. Barnes & Noble will own approximately 82.4% of the new subsidiary, which will have an ongoing relationship with the company’s retail stores.

New York -- Microsoft Corp. and Barnes & Noble have entered into an agreement by which Microsoft will invest $300 million in Barnes & Noble’s digital-book (Nook) business and college texts unit.

With the arrangement, Barnes & Noble's digital and college businesses will become a new, still-to-be-named subsidiary in which Barnes & Noble holds an 82.4% stake and Microsoft owns 17.6%. The agreement also means the two companies have settled their patent dispute.

Chicago -- Survey results released Thursday by WorkInRetail.com found that about one-third (32%) of retail hiring managers use social networking sites to research job candidates.

The new survey from WorkInRetail.com – CareerBuilder’s job site for retail professionals, found that of the retail employers who do not research candidates on social media, 16% said their company prohibits the practice. Nine percent report they do not currently use social media to screen, but plan to start.

New York -- Whether your company is already in the cloud or still on the fence about making the move, retailers can gain additional insight at “Legacy Modernization to the Cloud,” a FREE roundtable luncheon moderated by Chain Store Age. Attendees will learn how to move legacy workloads to the Cloud at a low cost and repurpose the savings on strategic imperatives like loyalty, mobile, and seamless digital connections.

Atlanta -- The Coca-Cola Retailing Research Council has published the final installment of its five-part report on social media, which suggested that grocery marketers significantly can leverage any social media participation by simply responding to tweets on Twitter and exploring the potential of professional networking site LinkedIn.

Retailers are now well familiar with social media as a means of engaging consumers, but may be less familiar with using this means of interactive dialogue to engage employees. And, yes, even those employees out on the sales floor. Why is employee engagement so important? Because profits are important.

Issy-Les-Moulineaux, France -- The Optic 2000 group, whch operates more than 1,850 specialty stores for eyewear and hearing devices, has chosen Microsoft Corp.’s enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution, Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 for Retail, to manage its sales, supply and inventory across its entire network of operations in France. Usability, simple maintenance, functional excellence and ease of upgrading are the key advantages that led to the company’s strategic decision to adopt the Microsoft business solution.

New York -- Retail executives are invited to attend the Microsoft Retail Roadshow, which will be held in the Dallas suburb of Irving, Texas, on Thursday, March 22. The half-day event will explore ways that retailers can increase operational efficiency, lower costs and innovate to drive customer engagement.

The event, which will include continental breakfast, lunch, demos and a partner showcase, will be held at Microsoft, 7000 State Highway 161 (George Bush Turnpike), Building LC1, Irving, Texas, 75039.