Data & Analytics

PARSIPPANY, N.J. — B&G Foods has acquired Robert’s American Gourmet Food, doing business as Pirate Brands — an all-natural snack foods category — from VMG Partners, Driven Capital Management, founder Robert Ehrlich and other entities and individuals.

B&G will pay approximately $195 million in cash.

SALT LAKE CITY — Overstock.com has promoted Brian Popelka to the position of SVP of customer and partner care. Formerly VP of customer care, Popelka will establish and maintain relationships with the company's drop-ship fulfillment partners, in addition to his previous duties.

Under his direction, the customer care department has repeatedly ranked in the top four of the former NRF Foundation/American Express Customer Choice Awards and earned the Gartner Gold Award and the 2011 Stevie Award for customer care.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Lululemon reported results for the first quarter ended May 5, but the news of the day was CEO Christine Day's resignation after five and a half years.

Day will officially step down once the board names a successor. The board has formed a search committee and enacted its CEO succession plan.

New York -- Bob Valair, director, energy & environmental management for Staples, will discuss how energy management is helping the retail chain save resources and add to the bottom line during a Chain Store Age Webinar on Tuesday, June 11, 2 p.m. ET (11 a.m PT).

Valair will also discuss Staples’ ongoing partnership with the EnergyStar program.   

Click here to register.

Chicago -- A lot of IT practitioners talk about “keeping the lights on,” or executing simple but essential tasks such as making sure an e-commerce site is actually up and running. For Michael Hines, VP of e-commerce technology at The Jones Group, keeping the lights on involves a lot more than flipping a switch.

Plano, Texas -- Another executive hired by former J.C. Penney CEO Ron Johnson has apparently left the chain. Kristen Blum, executive VP and chief technology officer, is no longer with Penney, according to various reports that cited a note to investors by Citi analyst Deborah Weinswig. Penney has yet to officially announce her departure, which was also reported by Women’s Wear Daily.

Bentonville, Ark. -- Wal-Mart Stores Inc. announced a $15 billion share buyback program at its annual shareholder meeting on Friday. It also said it expects to generate $10 billion in global e-commerce sales by the end of the fiscal year.

The new buyback program replaces the previous $15 billion plan, which had about $712 million remaining under the 2011 authorization.  

Hoffman Estates, Ill. -- Sears Hometown and Outlet Stores Inc. reported  a 27% drop in first-quarter earnings amid a cool spring throughout much of the country and rising costs.  But the company, a spinoff from Sears Holdings Corp., pointed to improving signs in late spring.

Sears Hometown earned $15 million in the quarter that ended May 4, compared with $20.6 million in the year ago period.

Revenue dropped 3% to $601.1 million. Same-store sales fell 5%.

San Diego -- Harmons Grocery, a 16-store regional chain in Utah, is reporting significant benefits from the deployment of in-store solutions from Carttronics. The retailer has implemented  Carttronics’ push-out-prevention, hand-basket protection, cart inventory management, loss prevention video capture and remote system monitoring applications at five locations, with a sixth due to come on board soon.



WASHINGTON — Americans are going to stretch their budgets and spend a little more on dad this year, according to NRF’s 2013 Father’s Day spending survey conducted by BIGinsight. The average person is expected to shell out $119.84 on gifts this year, an increase of 2% from $117.14 last year. 

Total spending by people 18 and older in the United States for Father’s Day is expected to reach $13.3 billion.