News

Grand Rapids, Mich. - Flatgoods recently launched a new website that allows customers to order any of their furniture pieces and customize them for their needs. Twenty-seven items are available for purchase, including items for home, storage and tradeshow use.

The website also features assembly instructions and a blog, detailing the latest events, clients, and news related to Flatgoods. New items will be added to the site periodically.

New York - U.S. retail and consumer merger & acquisition (M&A) activity during second quarter 2014 was driven by eight multibillion dollar transactions, anchored by the food and beverage (including alcohol and retailing) sectors, exceeding year-over-year deal value by 104% and volume by 52%.

Knoxville, Tenn. -- Regal Cinemas is partnering with Coca Cola to launch a promotion called "Tweet-a-Coke.” The promotion gives customers the chance to share a Coke via Twitter.

Moviegoers can buy and Tweet a friend a Coca-Cola at participating Regal Cinemas across the country. They can connect a credit card to their Twitter account, then tweet a friend using @TweetACoke, the word "enjoy" and their friend's Twitter handle.

Dublin, Ohio - The Wendy’s Company has extended its partnership and will continue licensing APT’s Test & Learn software for another three years. Wendy’s will use the software to test strategic initiatives in menu changes, remodels, marketing, pricing, and operations across its system of more than 6,500 company and franchise-operated restaurants.

Charleston, S.C. - Del Taco LLC has selected the Benefitfocus HR InTouch Marketplace to support benefits administration and address relative requirements set forth by the Affordable Care Act (ACA). HR InTouch Marketplace provides a single online portal that integrates benefits-related employee data and information in one place, allowing Del Taco to efficiently manage benefit eligibility, enrollment and education for its whole workforce.

Petaluma, Calif. – E-commerce platform provider MarketLive has entered a strategic agreement with Amazon Payments, offering the ability for MarketLive retailers to help streamline the login and checkout process and increase conversion numbers. The integration of login and pay with Amazon with the MarketLive platform allows shoppers on MarketLive retail shopping sites to leverage their existing Amazon account to quickly login and select their shipping and payment information that they use for Amazon.

Walmart’s sustainability efforts are benefitting fuel cell provider Plug Power Inc., which said a contract it secured with the retailer earlier this year has already been expanded.

Plug Power said it received an order from Walmart for a seventh on site hydrogen fuel cell power solution branded as GenKey.

Plug Power entered into a contract with Walmart back in February for six of its GenKey solutions consisting of GenDrive fuel cells, GenFuel infrastructure construction and hydrogen fuel supply and GenCare on-site maintenance.

Academy Sports + Outdoors plans to open four new stores next year in Kissimmee, Lake Mary, Waterford Lakes and Melbourne. Although the sports, outdoor and lifestyle retailer is no stranger to Florida — with an established presence in Jacksonville, Pensacola and Tallahassee — these four new stores are the first in the Orlando area.

In addition, Academy has entered into a multi-year agreement with the Univ. of Central Florida.

Hormel Foods Corporation has elected three new members to its board of directors: Gary C. Bhojwani, chairman of Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America; Sally J. Smith, president and CEO of Buffalo Wild Wings; and Steven A. White, president, Comcast West Division.

“We welcome Gary, Sally and Steve to our board and look forward to their valuable input and contributions to the growth and success of Hormel Foods,” said Jeffrey M. Ettinger, chairman of the board, president and CEO of Hormel Foods.

Ace Hardware will be implementing uStudio’s video platform to drive its sales training processes. The enterprise video platform-as-a-service provider is offering sales presentations and best practices techniques via the video to Ace’s more than 4,800 stores and 70,000 sales staff.

The goal of the video training program, according to uStudio, is for every salesperson to engage with customers more effectively and deliver on Ace Hardware's brand promise: "Being the most helpful hardware stores on the planet."