Sales & Marketing

Social media plays an important role in the grocery shopping process. According to a new study from market research firm Packaged Facts, “Retail Food Marketing Trends in the U.S.: Technology, Mobile, and Social Media,” a majority of grocery store shoppers use social media to get recipes (59%).

REI has promoted Rachel Ligtenberg to VP of retail following a 25-year tenure with the company.

In her new role, she adds retail operations to her current responsibilities of leading store design, visual merchandising and the co-op's flagship strategy.

Ligtenberg will continue to enhance REI's retail experience through new store design concepts to showcase its products, services and educational programs.

The maker of bagless and cordless vacuum cleaners and high-tech fans is looking to sell its products in its own branded spaces.

Dyson is planning to open a store on London’s Oxford Street as a prelude to opening locations around the world, The Daily Mail reported. The company has previously opened pop-ups at the Bluewater shopping center in Kent, England, and in select malls in the United States.

Walmart has returned to its acquisitive ways in Silicon Valley with the purchase of PunchTab, a four-year old company with talent and technology to help the retailer’s Sam’s Club division better personalize offers.

Jeremy King, head of WalmartLabs, and Jamie Iannone, president and CEO of Samsclub.com announced the deal to acquire PunchTab in a joint statement on the @WalmartLabs site. The deal involves the purchase of PunchTab’s and six employees who will join WalmartLabs including founder Mehdi Ait Oufkir.

Dallas -- Cypress Equities Cos. announced that it has hired Lance Taylor, director of asset management.

Taylor brings 25 years of experience in commercial real estate with varied responsibilities that include underwriting, acquisition, asset management, leasing, land development, receivership and dispositions. Lance’s background includes Archon Group, Deutsche Asset & Wealth Management, Jones Lang LaSalle America’s, Inc. and Stream Realty Partners, L.P.

Kroger’s annual Leadership Summit will begin in unconventional fashion when thousands of employees form a human breast cancer awareness ribbon Sept. 29 on the field of Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati.

Macy’s Inc. relatively new to the outlet sector but it’s making up for lost time.

On the heels of the debut of its Macy’s Backstage off-price format and the news that it would close up to 40 underperforming namesake stores, the retailer announced it will open two Bloomingdale’s Outlet stores in November, at The Shops at Liberty Place in Philadelphia, and at Westfield Mission Valley in San Diego.

Lakeshore Learning Materials, a Carson, California-based specialty retailer of educational materials with about 60 stores nationwide, is taking a smart approach to customer service. The company has selected and implemented Aptos (formerly Epicor Retail) solutions to help streamline and mobilize store operations, and support cross-channel order management and customer engagement.