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Aussie apparel brand Cotton On is as much about fun-fashion as it is about fast-fashion. The Geelong, Victoria-based brand operates more stores in the United States (124) than Zara and Uniqlo combined, and is an international behemoth with more than 1,300 stores operating globally under 10 different banners, including the 522-unit Cotton On, Cotton Body, Cotton On Kids, FREE by Cotton On and Rubi Shoes.

Growth has been fast and strategic, but peppered with humor, optimism and the occasional dose of controversy.

A week after Gordon Brothers Group — a global advisory, restructuring and investment firm specializing in the retail, consumer products, industrial and real estate sectors — tapped a new CEO, the company promoted Frank Grimaldi to national sales manager of the firm’s valuation and advisory services division.
 

Golden Pantry protects customer data with secure network

The Pep Boys president, CEO and director Mike Odell has resigned. Director John Sweetwood has been named interim CEO, effective immediately.

Sweetwood has served on Pep Boys’ board of directors since 2002 and is currently the president of Woods Investment, LLC, a private real estate investment firm. Sweetwood is the former president of the Americas Six Continents Hotels (currently Intercontinental Hotel Group), which operates hotels under the InterContinental, Crown Plaza, Holiday Inn and other brands.

The Wet Seal is welcoming back Jon Kubo, this time as EVP and chief digital officer, a newly created position. Kubo will oversee e-commerce, digital marketing and the information technology organization to integrate digital consumer experiences across all business touch points.

Kubo was head of e-commerce and chief information officer at Wet Seal from 2005 through 2011. The company credits him with growing its e-commerce business to its highest sales volume in history through innovative and industry-leading social and mobile customer engagement programs.

By David Dorf, senior director of technology strategy for Oracle Retail

Lands' End Business Outfitters has launched a new online customer shopping experience at business.landsend.com, which lets business customers do everything from see how their logo looks on a selected fabric to manage account information and accessing order history.

Omaha, Neb. - Following a decision to expand into under-served markets across the central U.S., discount department store chain Gordmans Stores has upgraded its legacy IT systems to an Oracle Retail enterprise platform. Working with Oracle Gold partner OLR, Gordmans implemented Oracle Retail solutions including Oracle Retail Merchandising System, Oracle Retail Sales Audit, Oracle Retail Price Management and Oracle Retail Trade Management.