Sales & Marketing

Atlanta -- According to a report released Thursday by First Data Corp., the prepaid gift-card market has remained healthy during the first half of 2011, despite a sluggish economy.

The 2011 Midyear Gift Card update showed that the gift card market experienced a higher rate of growth than U.S. consumer spending.

Wan Ling Martello may not have been a household name outside of Walmart, but that doesn’t diminish the significance of her departure from a company eager to achieve a higher degree of diversity among the ranks of its senior executives.

WOONSOCKET, R.I. — CVS/pharmacy said that it is continuing to promote its "MoneyTrashers" campaign by adding new digital resources to CVS.com and the CVS/pharmacy Facebook page.

Bellevue, Wash. -- T-Mobile USA announced Thursday the rollout of a new global design for nearly 400 new and remodeled stores across the country. The move follows successful test pilots in Tukwila, Wash., and in New York City at Seventh Ave. and 48th St.,

T-Mobile said it adopted the new design format from its parent company, Deutsche Telekom AG, which has received positive customer feedback for this new design in retail stores across Europe.

SEATTLE — Bartell Drugs is introducing a new way for customers to donate to local schools and nonprofit organizations, the regional retail pharmacy chain said Thursday.

Leawood, Kan. -- Epay, a division of electronic payments provider Euronet Worldwide, said Thursday it has forged an exclusive agreement to process prepaid mobile airtime transactions in the independent retail segment for Boost Mobile, Virgin Mobile USA and Assurance Wireless.

These no-contract wireless brands are owned by Sprint.

As part of our in-depth coverage of mixed-use developments – see the October 2011 issue of Chain Store Age – we talked with Rob Wetherald, VP development for Peoria, Ill.-based Cullinan Properties, Ltd., owner and developer of the Streets of St. Charles mixed-use project in metro St. Louis, about how the format draws, and supports, retail.

How important are design and amenities to today’s mixed-use projects, especially with regard to the retail component?

New York City -- JPMorgan said Thursday it has hired Sears Holdings Corp. president of financial services Susan Ehrlich as a senior VP.

Ehrlich will be charged to help create new payments services for customers, retailers and small businesses.

Ehrlich managed Sears’s expansion of payment and credit products over a five-year period for the retailer.