News

Michael Francis left his role as Target’s chief marketing officer for presumably greener pastures at J.C. Penney. That gig proved short-lived, but Francis landed on his feet this past February as chief global brand officer at Dreamworks and he shared his thoughts on the studio, consumer products and retail in the June issue of License! Global. Click here.

BOISE, Idaho — The Retailer Owned Food Distributors & Associates, the largest cooperative of independent food wholesalers, is showing its support for product safety by endorsing the use of best-in-class recall process management technology from Recall InfoLink. 

The Recall InfoLink solution has been successfully deployed at ROFDA members Affiliated Foods of Amarillo, Associated Grocers-Baton Rouge, Olean Wholesale Grocers and Associated Grocers of the South. Other members are expected to implement the system later this year.

FRAMINGHAM, Mass. — Staples is taking a page from retailers like Macy’s and turning to social media as it gears up for the back-to-school shopping season as it encourages students to follow Staples on Facebook and Twitter with hashtag #StaplesHasIt.

NEW YORK — Macy’s is getting social, and that’s the place to be when reaching out to potential shoppers who are getting ready to go back to school. 

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. — Sears was arguably synonymous with its “Big Book” catalog, but as the world became more technologically advanced and look books went digital, the retailer bade its catalog and catalog stores farewell and shifted to a new retail model of locally owned and operated dealer stores. 

ATLANTA — Lowe’s has donated $1 million to the Boys & Girls Clubs of America so the organization can refurbish clubs across the country. Lowe's grants of up to $50,000 will fund repairs and renovations at 20 Boys & Girls Clubs, from northern Washington State to South Florida.

LOS ANGELES — Virtual Piggy has integrated its youth-friendly payment system with Claire’s Stores’ e-commerce website at www.claires.com.

New York -- Foot Locker said that it has completed its previously announced acquisition of Runners Point Group, the specialty athletic store and online retailer based in Recklinghausen, Germany. The results of the two companies will be combined with an effective date of July 7, 2013.

Runners Point Group operates more than 200 athletic retail stores, principally in Germany under the Runners Point and Sidestep banners, as well as an online business. It had sales in 2012 of $254 million.

Washington, D.C. -- Import volume at the nation’s major retail container ports is expected to increase a modest 1.1% in July over the same month last year, but a slow summer should be followed by significant increases as retailers head into the holiday season this fall, according to the monthly Global Port Tracker report released Wednesday by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates.


New York -- Office Depot and OfficeMax Inc. on Tuesday moved one step closer to becoming one company as their shareholders voted to approve the merger between the two office supply rivals.