News

Office Depot implores shareholders to support Staples' acquisition deal
Boca Raton, Fla. -- Office Depot will urge its stockholders to support a merger with Staples by asking them to vote in favor of the $6.3 billion acquisition by Staples at an annual meeting. Industry insiders say the merger could help the pair solidify their positions in the office supplies market and fend off gains made by Amazon and Walmart in the category.
Kroger ends joint venture with Tesco’s Dunnhumby, starts customer data subsidiary
Cincinnati -- Kroger said Monday that it has ended a 12-year joint venture with British consumer data company Dunnhumby and launched its own customer data subsidiary.

The new subsidiary will help Kroger set prices in stores and decide which shoppers get certain coupons. The ending of the joint venture comes after Dunnhumby's parent company, Tesco PLC, said it was seeking strategic options for Dunnhumby.

HyVee chief picked to lead chain drug group

New York -- The National Association of Chain Drug Stores announced during its Annual Meeting, the election of new officers, four new executive committee members and five new board of directors member for the coming year.

Randy Edeker, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Hy-Vee will serve as the new NACDS chairman of the board of directors. Edeker succeeds John Standley, chairman and chief executive officer of Rite Aid.
Retailing’s 'Outstanding Mom' to be honored in New York

New York -- Hudson’s Bay and Lord & Taylor President Liz Rodbell is among a group of high powered female executive due to be honored as Outstanding Mothers at a New York City event on May 7 emceed by HSN CEO and 2010 Outstanding Mother honoree Mindy Grossman.

Other honorees include Meredith Vieira, host and executive producer, “The Meredith Vieira Show”; Joanna Coles, editor-in-chief, Cosmopolitan and editorial director, Hearst Magazines; and Dee Ocleppo Hilfiger, designer, creative director at Dee Ocleppo.
Retailer’s Guide to Understanding EMV Chip Acceptance Solutions

By Xavier Giandominici, FIME America

The U.S. is migrating to EMV chip technology to reduce counterfeit card fraud and promote global interoperability. And though the transition is more than three years in, many small and midsized merchants, VARs, ISOs and ISVs are only starting to learn about the EMV standard and beginning implementation project plans.
On-Demand Webinar: 5 Keys to the Digital Experience Equation
Survey: Mother’s Day spending expected to surge; department stores are big winners

New York -- According to NRF’s 2015 Mother’s Day Spending Survey conducted by Prosper Insights & Analytics, Americans will spend an average of $172.63 on mom this year, up nearly $10 from $162.94 last year and the highest amount in the survey’s 12-year history. Total spending is expected to reach $21.2 billion.
Valpak launches Apple Watch coupon app

St. Petersburg, Fla. -- Valpak’s new coupon app for Apple Watch will deliver watch wearers savings in a high-tech way for the traditional coupon-mailer.

The coupon app will be available for download for Apple Watch and will mark an early Apple Watch entry for coupon companies.
Report: eBay supports Google over Brussels antitrust probe

New York -- A report by Financial Times revealed that eBay’s CEO John Donahoe spoke out in support of Google as the search-engine giant defends itself in an antitrust case lodged in Brussels, Belgium.
Retailers doing good: Ann Inc. donates millions to cancer research; Whole Foods fights against poverty

New York -- High-profile retailers can make a high-impact difference when they use their clout to do good.

Case in point: Ann Inc., parent to Ann Taylor and Loft, donated more than $4.3 million to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation to fund groundbreaking cancer research. The brands parlayed successes from the 2014 spring and fall campaigns and have brought the company's total corporate donation to $22.3 million in the past 10 years.
Retailers glimpse future with data visualization

Analytics leader SAS has long promised customers “the power to know” and now a major enhancement to data visualization capabilities means retailers don’t have to be a Ph.D to do things faster and more effectively with their massive volumes of data.
Ace named America's favorite home improvement store

Ace Hardware is America’s favorite home improvement store and Costco is the favorite for home furnishings, according to a new survey by Market Force Information.