Staples, Inc.

Toronto, Canada -- Staples Canada has announced its sustainability achievements for the third quarter of 2013, meeting its recycling and energy efficiency program goals.

Staples has named Tom Conophy as EVP, chief information officer, overseeing all aspects of Staples’ global IT organization. He will report directly to Ron Sargent, Staples’ chairman and CEO, and will serve on the Staples executive committee.

Toronto -- Staples Canada has rolled out back-to-school shopping centers in both its stores and online, using both offline and online venues to promote BTS trends, technology and supplies to Canadian school children and their parents.

Dallas -- Alliance Data Systems Corp. announced Thursday that its Canadian loyalty business signed a new multi-year agreement with Staples Canada Inc., which operates about 330 locations under the banners Staples and Bureau en Gros.

Staples Canada joined Alliance’s Air Miles Reward Program, under which reward miles are redeemed for more than 1,000 different rewards. The retailer will launch the program in-store and online in March.

Framingham, Mass. -- Staples Inc. opened its new Velocity Lab, in Cambridge, Mass. The lab houses teams responsible for designing and implementing innovative new e-commerce and mobile solutions across Staples’ global business units.

The move is part of the office supply retailer’s recently announced strategic plan to accelerate growth by integrating its retail and online offerings and increasing investment in online and mobile capabilities to provide business customers with a seamless multichannel shopping experience.

Framingham, Mass. -- Staples Inc. announced Monday that its president and COO Michael Miles has left the company, effective Feb. 2.

Miles has accepted a position with Boston-based investment firm Berkshire Partners.

NEW YORK -- Consignment chain Second Time Around (STA) announced it is opening three more stores in Manhattan this October, all on the city’s Upper East Side.   

The new locations will bring the company to 36 stores nationwide, with the figure expected to grow to 40 by year end.

Framingham, Mass. -- Staples Inc. announced Tuesday a strategic plan to shore up sales and profitability that will involve accelerating the closure of 15 U.S. stores and 45 stores in Europe.

The office supplies retailer also said it will ramp up investment in its online and mobile efforts.

The announcement comes after a soft second quarter in which profit and traffic dipped downward.