Retail

ST. LOUIS — Build-A-Bear Workshop’s board of directors has appointed Sharon Price John as CEO and chief president bear. She replaces Maxine Clark, who announced earlier this year her plans to retire from her chief executive bear position. 

Clark will remain a member of the board. 

Indianpolis -- Simon Property Group and McArthurGlen Group announced an agreement to form a joint venture through which SPG will invest in McArthurGlen, the leader in upscale, European designer outlets. 

Under the agreement, SPG will acquire an ownership interest in six properties and will also become a partner in McArthurGlen's property management and development company.  Included assets are in Austria, Italy, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and Canada.

CHICAGO — Retail technology company ShopperTrak has acquired RapidBlue Solutions Oy, a leading European provider of retail data and analytics. 

Boston -- A new study from Kantar Retail and TNS revealed that shoppers prefer The Home Depot over Canadian Tire, Rona and other DIY retailers when shopping for home improvement items and do-it-yourself projects.  

In the April 2013 survey, Canadian shoppers rated top DIY competitors on a variety of attributes, including assortment, price, service, and community appeals.  



BURLINGTON, Mass. — Ikea and 89 Degrees, a marketing solutions provider, will give a presentation on the company’s loyalty program at this years’ Customer Relationship Management Conference Tuesday, June 18, at the Hilton, Chicago.

89 Degrees helped the company leverage Big Data to drive its omnichannel marketing, 

Westborough, Mass. -- Information technology solution-provider MICROS Systems said that it has forged a partnership with Steve Madden to launch  its e-commerce, order management, customer relationship management, and cloud point-of-service solutions.
 

Staples and Boys & Girls Clubs of America have brought teen actor Jake T. Austin on board for the 6th annual Staples for Students national school supply drive.

Austin will be featured in the campaign’s public service announcement, now available online and airing on television and radio stations starting next month.

New York -- Research released by IBISWorld showed that Father’s Day sales are forecast to total $13 billion in 2013, a 2% year-over-year increase. Results are expected to get a boost from the overall rise in consumer spending.

Special outings, such as dining out and watching sporting events, are expected to account for the largest share of Father’s Day spending this year, contributing 18.8% of total holiday sales, up 3.5% from 2012.