Sales & Marketing

FRAMINGHAM, Mass. — Staples is making it easier for small businesses and consumers to get ready for the holiday season with its online holiday center.

According to the company, this year's Staples Holiday Center includes an expanded product assortment with more gift ideas than ever as well as recipes and homemade crafts.

New York -- Carrefour SA reported that its revenue edged up in its third quarter, driven by strong sales in its convenience stores and markets in Asia and Latin America.

The company said Thursday that sales rose 2.1% to €22.6 billion ($29 billion) in the July to September quarter.

Recessions in Spain and Italy impacted Carrefour’s revenue in Europe, where sales were down 2.2%. Sales in Asia and Latin America increased, however, rising 12.3% and 5.2% respectively.
 

Neil Ashe, president and CEO of global e-commerce was clearly the most excitable person on stage Wednesday at Walmart’s 19th annual analysts' meeting. And for good reason.

Walmart created its global e-commerce group two years ago and Ashe joined the company back in January. Wednesday was his first opportunity to participate in the company’s annual analysts’ meeting and he made the most of it, slipping in a first ever reference to Walmart’s online revenues that now total $9 billion.

Wayne, N.J. – Toys “R” Us announced that international shipping is now available for online orders on Toysrys.com and Babiesrus.com to more than 60 countries across Asia, the Caribbean, Central America, Europe, North America and South America. The company is providing this service to its customers in partnership with i-parcel, a leading international air express company that facilitates global shipping capabilities.

PepsiCo is rolling out its Pepsi Interactive Vending machine pilot program -- allowing consumers to buy, gift and play games with PepsiCo beverages – at five General Growth Properties’ malls.

Columbiana Centre (Columbia, S.C.), Clackamas Town Center (Happy Valley, Ore.), Oglethorpe Mall (Savannah, Ga.), Oakwood Mall (Eau Claire, Wis.) and Park City Center (Lancaster, Pa.) will feature the interactive vending equipment with full touch-screen technology.

BENTONVILLE, Ark. — Walmart plans a modest acceleration of its small format stores in the coming years as investors were assured Wednesday morning that financial returns are now comparable with the company’s large supercenters.

San Francisco -- Gap Inc. announced Wednesday that customers in Japan can now shop Gap and Banana Republic products online through its new Japanese e-commerce sites (gap.co.jp and bananarepublic.co.jp). The sites offer Gap, GapKids, babyGap and Banana Republic products.

BENTONVILLE, Ark. — Walmart said Tuesday it is testing same-day delivery service in four markets over the holiday shopping season.

The service is being tested in northern Virginia, Philadelphia, Minneapolis and San Francisco/San Jose, Calif. Geared toward customers who buy popular items online during the holidays, the test includes about 5,000 items and builds on a same-day grocery delivery service the retailer launched in San Jose in April 2010 and tested in San Francisco in 2011.