eCommerce

Dayton, Ohio -- Retail design firm Interbrand Design Forum has announced seven new hires to support its continued growth. Staff additions include three new members to the environmental design team, a fixture specialist and several supporting staff members.

Ryan Slicer has been named Senior Environmental Designer. Previously he worked with WD Partners.

Amanda Handermann joins as an Environmental Designer. Before coming to Interbrand Design Forum she co-founded the Wig Wam Collaborative, a multi-disciplinary freelance design team.

Max-Wellness, the health and wellness retail concept founded by former OfficeMax CEO Michael Feuer, named VP of finance Tom Mack to the newly created role of SVP and chief financial and administrative officer.

Mack joined the company in the fall of 2011 as controller and was elevated to the vp of finance role last year. Max-Wellness operates six stores, three in the Cleveland area, two in Naples, Fl., and one in nearby Sarasota.

Bentonville, Ark. – Wal-Mart is considering entering the bidding for Hong Kong-based grocery chain ParknShop, Reuters reports. Wal-Mart is currently exploring options to enter the initial bidding process for ParknShop, which closes Aug. 16.

ParknShop is owned by Hutchison Whampoa Ltd., which in turn is owned by Li Ka-shing, reputedly the wealthiest man in Asia. The chain may be valued as high as $4 billion.

Wal-Mart, which has not commented publicly, said last year it would open 100 new stores in China by 2015.

New York – Macy’s has reached an agreement with Lids Sports Group to offer licensed departments called Locker Room by Lids that will sell Lids merchandise both in Macy’s stores and on the retailer’s website. Lids Sports Group will operate the departments, which will be the exclusive source of Macy’s in-store team sportswear.

Locker Room by LIDS is the name of a new licensed team merchandise department that will appear in 200 Macy’s stores and Macys.com beginning this fall which could help the nation’s largest department store operator become more relevant to sports fans.

New York — La Perla has opened a new boutique in Honolulu at the Ala Moana Center. The official opening ceremony took place Friday morning.

Founded in 1954, La Perla is an Italian-based brand marketing intimate apparel, swimwear and ready-to-wear.

Columbus, Ohio -- The Limited said Wednesday it has appointed former Brooks Bros. president and COO Diane Ellis as its new CEO, effective Aug. 26.
 
In her role at Brooks Bros., Ellis oversaw information technology, human resources, retail and outlet stores, planning and allocation, product development, sourcing, supply chain, e-commerce and finance.

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — Insite Software, a leading provider of B2B e-commerce platforms and shipping solutions, has appointed David Ricketts as its SVP of sales.

Ricketts has more than 15 years of experience in software sales management, working with retailers, wholesalers, manufactures, distributors and consumer packaged goods companies to expand sales revenues via B2B and B2C e-commerce, omnichannel commerce and mobile, social and tablet commerce.