Retail

The Senate has voted unanimously to confirm former Walmart Foundation President Sylvia Mathews Burwell as White House budget director, according to a Reuters report.

The report went on to state that the 96-0 vote marks the first time the White House has had a fully confirmed budget director since January 2012, when Jack Lew, now Treasury Secretary, left the position to become Obama's chief of staff.

Secaucus, N.J. -- The Children's Place said Wednesday that current CFO Michael Scarpa has also been appointed COO, effective immediately.

Scarpa will continue to oversee finance, information technology, distribution, logistics and wholesale, and will add store operations, store development and international to his current responsibilities.

Prior to joining The Children's Place, Scarpa was COO and CFO of The Talbots.

SECAUCUS, N.J. — Children's Place CFO Michael Scarpa has added COO to his credentials. Scarpa, who oversees finance, information technology, distribution, logistics and wholesale, will add store operations, store development and international to his responsibilities. Scarpa will continue to report to president and CEO Jane Elfers.

New York -- Another Ron Johnson-appointee and former Apple executive has left J.C. Penney. Ben Fay, who was brought as EVP real estate, store design and development, has left the company, according to the Dallas Morning News. Returning to Penney in an advisory capacity is the chain's former SVP of property development, Tom Clerkin, who took early retirement from the company last year, the report said.

MONTREAL, Canada — LightSpeed, a leading software company that develops tools for retailers to better manage operations and sales across all channels, has launched StoreMaster, a command center that affords retailers complete control over their business. 

Washington, D.C. -- The U.S. Senate on Wednesday voted 96-0 to confirm former Wal-Mart Foundation president Sylvia Mathews Burwell as White House budget director.

Burwell, the first fully confirmed budget director since January 2012, when Jack Lew, now Treasury Secretary, left the position to become Obama's chief of staff, received a vote of confidence from her former employer.

NEW YORK, N.Y. — As the six month anniversary of Hurricane Sandy approaches, online grocery service Peapod is teaming up with Family-to-Family, Inc. to launch a 90-day campaign to restock the kitchen cupboards of families still struggling from the effects of the storm.

New York -- A Wednesday report by Bloomberg said that Apple plans to double its number of retail stores in China over the next two years to help offset slowing growth worldwide.