Sales & Marketing

New York -- In an indication that the end could be getting close, RadioShack Corp. will close its distribution center in Hagerstown, Maryland, the Dallas Business Journal reported.

The move will result in some 87 layoffs.

The report cited the Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation, which said the facility will close March 11. The news of the closing follows reports that the struggling chain is near to filing Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
 

New York -- Academy Sports + Outdoors will celebrate the simultaneous opening of four stores in the Orlando, Florida, area in March.

The new stores will be located in Kissimmee, Waterford, Lake Mary and Melbourne and will open simultaneously at 8:30 a.m. on March 6. The openings mark the Katy, Texas-based company’s furthest expansion eastward to date.

The $4 billion sporting goods retailer has entered into a multi-year partnership with the Orlando City Soccer Club beginning with the team's inaugural 2015 season.  

Costco’s same store sales flat-lined in January, disappointing many analysts who had expected a 1.2% increase.  

Former GameStop Senior Vice President of Human Resource Mike Buskey was elevated to the role of president of U.S. stores to oversee GameStop’s more than 2,000 locations.

San Francisco -- Shopper traffic in January dropped 7% year-over-year as harsh winter storms amplified the shift of shopping to online and mobile, according to Euclid’s monthly retail benchmarks report which analyzes shopper activity and behavior during the month of January. In-store engagement improved more than expected during the low traffic, post-holiday month, but it is unclear how much the longer visits benefitted sales.

The newly created position of chief member officer at Sam’s Club has been filled by veteran marketer Tracey Brown who has been given a wide range of member marketing, acquisition, engagement, retention and analytics responsibilities.

New York -- Staples has entered an agreement to acquire Office Depot in a cash and stock deal valued at $6.3 billon that is sure to face a high degree of regulatory scrutiny.

Seattle -- Amazon confirmed reports that it is piloting co-branded pickup sites with universities with the announcement that it has opened its first-ever staffed pickup and drop-off on-campus location, at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, and plans to open similar sites at the University of California, Davis and the University of Massachusetts Amherst.