News

A new effort from Gap Kids is allowing parents the chance to have their child featured in an ad campaign in 2015.

San Jose, California – U.S. shopping trends showed some improvement in July 2014, although not all metrics experienced positive change, compared to the same month a year earlier. According to the RetailNext Insights Report of more than 13 million shopping trips in July 2014, sales per shopper increased 3.5% from July 2013.

The smart home phenomenon is coming to dinner this Thanksgiving and Jennie-O and smart thermometer manufacturer iDevices are bringing the technology.

North Bergen, N.J. - The Vitamin Shoppe will host its latest "Share the Health" expo on Aug. 16, in more than 600 stores nationwide. As part of this event, each store will offer its own specialized festivities, such as free product samples and consultations with local wellness partners.

This marks the ninth Share the Health Expo hosted by the Vitamin Shoppe since 2012. The Vitamin Shoppe stores will host wellness partners from their communities throughout the day, ranging from local gyms and spas to chiropractors and product representatives.

Travis Smith is stepping down as Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores’ president and CEO, effective immediately — a role he was promoted to January 31, 2010.

The board of directors is undertaking a comprehensive search to find his replacement. Until then, Jim Kerr, the company’s EVP and CFO, will serve as interim CEO of the company, while continuing in his current role. Kerr will partner with Riddi Kline, EVP of marketing and merchandising, and Tom Williams, EVP of operations and human resources, to manage the business.

Eden Prairie, Minn. – Supervalu Inc. is hosting the company’s first-ever national sales expo, a three-day trade event, in St. Paul, Minnesota. The expo will feature more than 20 educational sessions and more than 330 expo booths, providing more than 3,900 independent grocery retailers from more 1,250 stores the opportunity to gain insights, merchandising ideas and grocery retail solutions from industry experts.

San Francisco - OpenTable, a provider of online restaurant reservations and part of The Priceline Group, has kicked off the national expansion of its pay with OpenTable feature with a launch in New York City. In addition to its new launch in New York City, OpenTable plans to expand its mobile payments presence in San Francisco, home to its mobile payment pilot which launched in February 2014, and to roll out the feature across the nation by introducing it in 20 cities before the end of 2014.

Supervalu welcomed nearly 4,000 independent grocery retailers to St. Paul, Minn., this week for the grocery distributor’s inaugural national sales expo and trade show.