Sales & Marketing

Evansville, Ind. – Shoe Carnival Inc. has partnered with EBay Enterprise to implement a new omnichannel operational foundation based on EBay Enterprise modular solutions, including retail order management, payments, fraud protection, ship-from-store, and customer care. The integrated technology and services will provide a secure engine to accept payments, drive down fraud rates and consolidate inventory across many of Shoe Carnival’s stores to increase product assortment, while lowering fulfillment transit time and expense.

American Express has promoted Neal Sample, currently Enterprise Growth’s chief information officer and chief marketing technologist, to president. He will report to American Express CEO Kenneth I. Chenault and will serve as a member of the company's operating committee.

Sample replaces Dan Schulman, formerly group president of Enterprise Growth, who has resigned his position to become CEO of eBay’s spun-off PayPal business.

Bentonville, Ark. – Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is reportedly claiming that comedian Tracy Morgan was not wearing a seat belt when a truck driven by one of its drivers struck a vehicle Morgan was traveling in on the New Jersey Turnpike on June 7, critically injuring Morgan and killing one of his fellow passengers. According to Bloomberg, Wal-Mart said Morgan is partially or fully to blame for his injuries in a filing in federal court in Trenton, New Jersey.

Ottawa, Canada – Price intelligence technology provider 360pi, is collaborating and integrating with IBM to facilitate more automated and dynamic pricing for joint customers. The resulting solution leverages 360pi’s real-time price intelligence for exact and “like” products within IBM’s cloud-based omnichannel pricing platform.

Hibbett Sports has promoted Jared Briskin to SVP and chief merchant. Briskin replaces Rebecca Jones, who left the company this week.

Birmingham, Ala. – Hibbett Sports Inc. has promoted Jared Briskin to senior VP and chief merchant. Briskin replaces Rebecca Jones, who left the company.

Briskin has been with Hibbett for more than 16 years, starting as a buyer and most recently serving as VP divisional merchandise manager of footwear and equipment.

Staples has kicked off a nationwide tour called "Refresh. Recharge. Refuel." The tour aims to encourage office workers across the country to take a break from the daily grind by visiting a large-scale, popup break room stocked with free snacks, coffee and other beverages.

As part of the tour, Staples will host public break room events in 10 major U.S. cities including Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Washington DC, Chicago, Atlanta, Houston, Dallas, San Diego and Los Angeles.

Port Washington, N.Y. – Spending during the total back-to-school season (nine weeks ending Sept. 6, 2014) on traditional supplies increased 2% from 2013, with e-commerce acting as a key catalyst at more than 20% growth during the same time period. According to new data from The NPD Group Inc., most back-to-school shopping occurs at retail brick-and-mortar stores (88%), but 2014 online sales claimed an estimated $33 million previously held by brick-and-mortar retailers.