Sales & Marketing

Business and friendship are generally considered incompatible. It’s hard to take the dispassionate, profits-first mindset that traditionally governs business transactions with a person you think of as a friend. However, in this burgeoning age of social media and social commerce, retailers need to make friends with their customers to maximize engagement, loyalty and profits.

It’s not your father’s Pep Boys...not by a long shot. The auto parts and service retailer is testing a new store concept designed to extend its appeal beyond its core DIY-car enthusiasts audience to “do-it-for-me” drivers, which include many female customers.

PAWTUCKET, R.I. — Hasbro has acquired a majority stake in Backflip Studios, a company that develops mobile games such as DragonVale, NinJump and Paper Toss.

WASHINGTON — The National Retail Federation's president and CEO Matthew Shay and chief economist Jack Kleinhenz have issued a statement concerning June's employment numbers, released by the Department of Labor.

VeriFone and Lenovo teamed up to develop a mobile point of sale platform that promises to meet retail needs for Windows-based systems compatible with existing retail store systems.

The platform integrates a ThinkPad Tablet 2 based on the Intel Atom Z2760 processor with VeriFone's secure PAYware Mobile technology designed exclusively for the Lenovo tablet.

GREEN BAY, Wis. — The Shopko Foundation has announced the recipients of its Teammate and Family Scholarships for the 2013-2014 school year. The foundation awarded $75,000 in scholarships to 30 students in 10 states.

NEW YORK, N.Y. — Happy Family, a leading organic baby and toddler food brand founded and operated by moms, wants picky eaters to clean their plates for a chance to win $20,000 toward a college education.

As part of the campaign, which launched on Facebook and is called Stories from the Bright Side, Happy Family is calling parents to submit their funny mealtime moments.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Kid Brands' EVP and COO Kerry Carr is about to take on a third title at the company as its new CFO. The news comes amid the company's announcement that it has sold the Russ and Applause brands to Larsen and Bowman Holdings for $1.25 million.

Carr replaces James Christl, whose resignation for personal reasons from his position as SVP and CFO has been accepted by the company.