Store Systems

Chicago -- Claire's Stores, Inc. said Tuesday that it has named Beatrice Lafon President of the European Division, effective immediately.

In her position as President of Europe, Lafon will lead the continued growth and expansion of the European business, with direct oversight of buying, merchandising and allocation, supply chain, stores, and the overall operations for approximately 1,100 stores across 13 countries.

Lafon will report to Gene Kahn, CEO. 

Bentonville, Ark. -- Sam's Club will offer  a limited 15-week membership for $15.  

The seasonal membership is available for purchase during regular club hours for a limited time between Oct. 4 and 10.

NAPERVILLE, Ill. — OfficeMax announced that it is engaging the services of Google Wallet to make it easier for customers to pay, redeem coupons and reap the benefits of its loyalty program by using their mobile phones. The new service is available through new checkout terminals located at more than 100 OfficeMax stores.

Naperville, Ill. -- OfficeMax Inc. has launched new checkout terminals in more than 100 stores that harness Google Wallet to enable customers to pay, redeem coupons and reap the benefits of OfficeMax's MaxPerks Rewards loyalty program, all with a tap of their mobile phones. The chain is the first national office supply retailer to accept mobile payments through Google Wallet, which is a partnership between Google, MasterCard Worldwide, Citigroup Inc., Sprint Nextel Corp. and First Data Corp.

New York -- In a surprise announcement, Target said that Michael Francis, executive VP and chief marketing officer of Target Corp., has elected to leave the company.  In January, 2011, Francis was charged with overseeing with Target’s Canadian entrance. 

The retailer was short on specifics regarding Francis’ departure. 

"We would like to thank Michael for his many contributions and wish him the best in his future endeavors" said Gregg Steinhafel, chairman, president and CEO, in a statement. 

Indianapolis -- Hhgregg has officially launched its new e-commerce website. The retailer’s key development partners for the new site include Rosetta, the implementation partner; IBM, the ecommerce platform provider, and Adobe for imaging, recommendations and site analytics.

The new site features enhanced functionality, delivers on the company’s “We Help” brand promise and brings hhgregg’s superior in-store experience online.

New features include:

Sunderland, Vermont --The Orvis Company has launched iPhone and Android rich apps powered by mobile commerce provider Digby. The apps complement all of Orvis’ cross-channel touch points including retail stores, e-Commerce, catalogs, and a mobile-optimized website, which is also powered by Digby.  

T-Mobile is rolling out a new design to nearly 400 stores across the country. The new format, which the company adopted from parent company Deutsche Telekom AG, has a streamlined, ultra-modern look, and includes a variety of service options, from standing counters on the sales floor for quick transactions to more private individual service desks where customers can meet with sales associates.