Sales & Marketing

National Retail Federation SVP David French told the House Judiciary Committee in a letter this week that legislation is needed to level the playing field between local retailers and out-of-state competitors, as the NRF continues to push Congress to pass legislation that would require online and remote sellers to collect state and local sales taxes.

By Loreal Lynch, VP marketing, Shopatron

The rise of multichannel shopping has forced retailers to begin implementing strategic omni-channel initiatives across their organizations in an effort to satisfy increasing customer demands. These initiatives are ushering in even higher customer service expectations from shoppers who have no patience for disconnected experiences that fail to match the omni-channel marketing promise.

Gardendale, Ala. – Independent grocer cooperative ROFDA, the Retailer Owned Food Distributors & Associates, has appointed Park City Group director of business development Christina Romas to its seven-member advisory council. ROFDA’s advisory council was created to provide the organization’s leadership team with input, information and feedback representing the interests of ROFDA’s associates and suppliers in support of its mission.

Research Triangle Park, N.C. - ChannelAdvisor Corp. is launching a new digital marketing solution. ChannelAdvisor Digital Marketing integrates ChannelAdvisor’s feed management and bid management capabilities, including paid search campaigns, Google Product Listing Ads and other advertising channels, from affiliate marketing to social media.

The journey to South by Southwest (SXSW) begins long before the leading technology conference even begins. As first time attendees it quickly became apparent that winging it doesn’t work in Austin yet being open to possibilities is also essential essential.

Stepping of the plan we wondered if we had planned enough. Everyone looked like they knew where they were going and what they were doing and who they were doing it with. We were just trying to find our hotel!

Columbus, Ohio – Net income at Express Inc. fell 25% during the fourth quarter of fiscal 2013, dropping from $63.9 million to $47.9 million. Net sales declined 2% from $731.7 million, to $715.9 million.

Same-store sales rose 1%. The company cited heavy promotions as impacting its quarterly results, which did not meet Wall Street expectations. Express intends to start opening outlet stores beginning in May 2014.

Duck Tape is getting "Ducked Out" for the 2014 Radio Disney Music Awards (RDMAs), and offering one person a chance to attend the event at Nokia Theatre L.A. April 26.

One winner will receive a trip for five to the RDMAs in Los Angeles, as well as a meet and greet with Radio Disney on-air personality Maddy from "Morgan & Maddy in the Morning."

Yonkers, N.Y. — Forest City Ratner Cos. has joined Yonkers Partners in Education to create Ridge Hill Academy, a pilot program in which local businesses teach local students about the “behind the scenes” operations of retail management.

Twenty-five students selected from local high schools have just begun the pilot’s third of five 10-week sessions, which take place at Westchester’s Ridge Hill shopping, dining and entertainment center.