News

Los Altos, Calif. -- Talend said Monday that The Container Store is deploying Talend Enterprise Data Integration to simplify, standardize and move data across multiple platforms.

With Talend, The Container Store now has cross-platform standardization, improved development times and automated processes that were previously done manually.

Cleveland -- American Greetings Corp. said Monday that the founding Weiss family has reached a deal to acquire the gift cards and party goods company for about $878 million.

The transaction is expected to close in July, and “returns the company to private ownership in a way that we believe enables the company to continue to serve the interests of its customers, employees, suppliers and the communities in which it operates as it has for over a century," said Jeffrey Weiss, president and COO.

In the second installment of a case study series, CSA Online continued to offer an insider’s look at the conception and initial rollout of the southern Calif.-based fast-casual concept PizzaRev. Likened to “the Chipotle of pizza,” this innovative chain lets customers choose from an artisanal array of toppings to craft their own pizzas. A test kitchen in Northridge, Calif., was launched in April 2012 and three additional locations soon followed.

San Francisco -- Google made a quiet announcement on Friday that it is officially launching the pilot of its Google Shopping Express program, which features online delivery initially in the San Francisco Bay area.

In a notice on the company’s website, Google Shopping Express product management director Tom Fallows described the program as a “new experiment,” one that offers “a local delivery service that we hope will make it possible for you to get the items you order online the same day, and at a low cost."

Hoffman Estates, Ill. -- An SEC filing on Thursday revealed that Sears Holdings Corp. former CEO Louis D’Ambrosio, who stepped down in February citing family health issues, saw his total compensation package shrink nearly 90% from the prior year.

According to the proxy statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Sears said D’Ambrosio's salary rose to $1 million in 2012 from $930,769 in 2011. However, the value of his perks, such as corporate housing and travel, shrank to $278,741 from $852,037 in 2011.
 

Polaroid Fotobar, a new retail concept from Polaroid, has opened its first location, in Delray Beach, Fla. The 2,000-sq.-ft. store is designed to allow consumers to take the images from their smartphones and tablet devices and easily turn them into “museum-quality” art that can be framed and hung on a wall or displayed on a desk. 

Polaroid Fotobar has a modern, streamlined look, with sleek lines. The Delray Beach location will serve as a prototype for nine additional cites due to open this year, including locations in New York, Las Vegas, and Boston.

DEERFIELD, Ill. — Walgreens has selected OMD to be its new media planning and buying agency of record. OMD will be responsible for U.S. and Puerto Rico activity related to traditional, multicultural, digital and mobile media planning and buying. The business will be led from OMD’s Chicago office.

CULVER CITY, Calif. — Glenn Hasen has joined Magento, the leading e-commerce platform part of the X.commerce division of Ebay, as VP global sales and channels. In his new role, Glenn will manage day-to-day operations of the sales organization and oversee merchant adoption, successful customer onboarding and retention of the Magento platform.

SEATTLE -- Amazon.com went back to its roots as bookseller last week with the announcement that it would acquire social site Goodreads, an online book recommendation community that has more than 16 millions around the globe. The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

FOOTHILL RANCH, Calif. — Wet Seal has announced the promotions of the company’s two divisional merchandising managers for its Wet Seal brand. Kim Bajrech has been appointed SVP, general merchandising manager apparel, and Debbie Shinn has been appointed SVP, general merchandising manager accessories and ready-to-wear.