Retail

Walmart U.S. President and CEO Bill Simon joined 280 of the nation's mayors in Washington, D.C., at the U.S. Conference of Mayors Meeting to announce a new fund for innovation in American manufacturing and a new supplier commitment to bring production of bikes and jobs to South Carolina.

Toronto -- The HBC Department Store Group announced the launch of a new mobile shopping application for both its Hudson’s Bay and Lord & Taylor divisions that allows customers to instantly buy products seen in print by simply scanning an image.

HBC is partnering with Pounce, a mobile app that turns static print ads into instant digital storefronts by enabling customers to scan product images and complete a purchase in less than 30 seconds. It provides a secure, one-tap checkout, integrating with the retailer’s existing e-commerce system

Wayfair, the largest online retailer of home furnishings and décor, has appointed Christiane Lemieux as executive creative director.

In her new role, Lemieux, previously founder and creative director of DwellStudio, will provide creative vision and counsel across the company’s growing portfolio of home brands, including Wayfair.com, AllModern, Joss & Main and DwellStudio. Lemieux will be responsible for developing new creative initiatives for Wayfair in the coming year.

Downers Grove, Ill. – The board of directors of FTD Companies, Inc. has appointed Michael Silverstein as a director of the company, effective Jan. 21, 2014. Silverstein will serve as a class I director with a term expiring at the company's 2014 annual meeting of stockholders.

February 2014 is projected to be the coldest in four years and drier than last year for the U.S. as a whole. Much colder year-on-year trends will be widespread at the start of the month, especially across the Central U.S. The axis of colder temperatures shifts to the Northern Tier of the U.S. by the second week of the month. Much colder trends early in the month will help to clear remaining winter merchandise. A taste of spring arrives in the Deep South in retail week three, making this a favorable time for categories such as sun care, apparel and cold beverages.

New York – Hedge fund Litespeed Management has purchased about 8.1 million shares, or an 8.1% stake, in RadioShack. Litespeed, founded by Jamie Zimmerman in 2000, specializes in investing in troubled companies that have viable businesses.

Litespeed disclosed the purchase in an SEC filing. The filing does not specify purchase price, but analysts have estimated the company probably did not spend more than roughly $17 million on the investment.

Washington, D.C. - Integrating store and online operations is a key focus for retailers as e-commerce capable solutions increasingly supplant traditional POS and mobile technologies. According to a new study conducted by the NRF, Demandware and the University of Arizona that polled more than 200 U.S. and European retail business technology executives, more than one-third (35.8%) of retailers surveyed are considering a single platform to manage interactions and transactions across all channels.

The Walmart Foundation’s Colorado State Giving Program has awarded $321,000 to eight Colorado nonprofits that are helping to fund local programs to improve education, women’s economic empowerment, healthy eating and fighting hunger.

The organizations include We Don’t Waste, Lapuente Home, Care and Share, Kids Aid, Project Angel Heart, Women’s Resource Agency, Broadway Assistance Center and Discover Goodwill of Southern and Western Colorado.