Education

Katy, Texas - Academy Sports + Outdoors will open four stores in the Orlando, Florida, area in 2015. The four stores will be located in Kissimmee, Lake Mary, Waterford Lakes and Melbourne.

Ace Hardware will be implementing uStudio’s video platform to drive its sales training processes. The enterprise video platform-as-a-service provider is offering sales presentations and best practices techniques via the video to Ace’s more than 4,800 stores and 70,000 sales staff.

The goal of the video training program, according to uStudio, is for every salesperson to engage with customers more effectively and deliver on Ace Hardware's brand promise: "Being the most helpful hardware stores on the planet."

Jim Wade, who has 35 years of experience in retail, is the newest member of closeout retailer Tuesday Morning’s board of directors. Wade will be part of the board’s audit committee.

Academy Sports + Outdoors plans to open four new stores next year in Kissimmee, Lake Mary, Waterford Lakes and Melbourne. Although the sports, outdoor and lifestyle retailer is no stranger to Florida — with an established presence in Jacksonville, Pensacola and Tallahassee — these four new stores are the first in the Orlando area.

In addition, Academy has entered into a multi-year agreement with the Univ. of Central Florida.

Toronto – Staples Canada has launched its seasonal back-to-school center, Staples.ca/backtoschool, and a television and media campaign. The online center features tips for parents, teachers and students, and an e-marketplace.

For the third consecutive year, Office Depot has enlisted the aid of actor, comedian and America’s Got Talent host Nick Cannon to help execute an innovate back-to-school program.
 

Framingham, Mass. – Staples Inc. is reportedly in negotiations with the state of New York to resolve a dispute about the terms of an agreement to sell numerous items to New York state agencies and qualifying non-profits for a penny each. According to the Wall Street Journal, Staples agreed to honor the one-cent prices on 219 items for three years in order to win a state office and school supplies contract.

Deerfield, Ill. -- Walgreens announced that  Kermit Crawford, president of  pharmacy, health and wellness, will retire, effective Dec. 31, after 31 years with the company. Crawford plans to join the University of Southern California’s School of Pharmacy, where will serve as executive in residence and senior adviser to the Dean. He also will serve as a senior counselor to Walgreens president and CEO Greg Wasson.