eCommerce

Englewood, Col. -- The Sports Authority has appointed Paul M. Okimoto as the company’s new chief marketing officer.
 
Okimoto previously served as VP of marketing at RadioShack. He also held positions with the Nielsen Company as VP of corporate marketing and AT&T Wireless as head of integrated marketing communications.  
   

Minneapolis -- Consumer electronics retailer Best Buy is leaving the European market. The company is selling its stake in a joint European venture with U.K.-based consumer electronics retailer Carphone Warehouse Group PLC for cash and stock worth about $775 million USD.

Best Buy Co. will also pay Carphone 29 million pounds (about $45 million) related to existing agreements that will be terminated when the deal closes. The U.S. retailer also said that it will incur an approximately $200 million asset impairment charge related to the stake sale.

When describing Destiny USA – the 2.4 million-sq.-ft. dining, entertainment, shopping and outlet megaplex in Syracuse, N.Y. – it’s a toss-up whether to emphasize the offerings and amenities, or highlight the project’s own brand of environmental consciousness.

New York -- Cache said Monday that it has appointed Arnold Cohen as executive VP/chief marketing officer for the women’s apparel chain.

Cohen’s background includes eight years with American Eagle Outfitters, where he was involved in creating the first mobile concept, the early iteration of Martin and Osa, and the back-on-campus initiative that rolled out to 50 colleges.

New York -- Multibillion dollar transactions drove U.S. retail and consumer deals during the first quarter of 2013, according to PwC US.

For the three month period ending March 31, 2013, there were a total of 27 deals in the retail and consumer sector with disclosed values greater than $50 million, accounting for $39.8 billion in deal value. Deal volume increased 59% from the 17 deals during the first quarter 2012, while deal value rose 590% from $5.8 billion in first quarter 2012.  

New York -- Columbia Sportswear Company has appointed Shawn Cox as senior VP of retail, a newly created position that will report directly to president and CEO Tim Boyle. In his new role, Cox, 49, will be responsible for leading the company’s brick-and-mortar retail and e-commerce operations in the U.S., Europe and Canada.


New York -- Giving a much-needed boost to J.C. Penney Co., George Soros’ Soros Fund Management bought 17.4 million shares of the troubled retailer, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.  

The stake, which was seen as a vote of confidence in returning CEO Mike Ullman, makes the billionaire investor the fourth-largest Penney shareholder, with a 7.9% stake.

New York -- The U.S. Senate on Thursday voted to move forward with the Marketplace Fairness Act, legislation that would allow states to force retailers to collect online sales taxes, if the states choose to do so.