News

Boulder, Colo. — Kroger is the highest ranked gasoline retailer for customer satisfaction among American consumers. According to a new study of 5,300 consumers from Market Force Information, Costco and Quik Trip tied for second, Sam’s Club ranked third, and Murphy USA, which operates standalone stations and on-site stations at Walmart Supercenters, was fourth.

The bad weather that hurt Bed Bath & Beyond during the fourth quarter may have abated, but the company’s sales still grew at a slower than expected pace during the first quarter and caused profits to come in toward the low end of expectations.

Minneapolis – Best Buy Inc. is reportedly considering selling off its Chinese business or finding a partner to help operate it. According to the Wall Street Journal, Best Buy is working with Bank of America Merrill Lynch to examine its options in China.

Walgreens has opened a new two-story, flagship drugstore in the north tower of Chicago’s iconic Wrigley Building.

Assisted by 42nd Ward Alderman Brendan Reilly, representatives from the Magnificent Mile Association, Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce and others, Walgreens executives marked the 27,800-sq.-ft. store’s opening with a ceremonial ribbon cutting.

The General Mills board of directors has added Henrietta Fore, CEO of consulting and investment company Holsman International, to its ranks.

Fore currently serves as the chair of Holsman’s board of directors and global co-chair of both WomenCorporateDirectors and Asia Society, and previously oversaw the U.S. Mint and was administrator of U.S. international development.

Fore joins the General Mills board, as current member and former Sprint chief, William Esrey, prepares to leave in September after 25 years.

Oakley, a wholly owned subsidiary of Luxottica Group, the world’s largest eyewear company, is looking to take its performance-driven, namesake brand to the next level. On the heels of its first global marketing initiative, the company has opened a state-of-the-art flagship on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan.

The Finish Line takes omnichannel approach to ‘March Madness’

Athletic footwear retailer The Finish Line offers a highly seasonal assortment.

Cambridge, Mass. - Vee24, a provider of live video assistance solutions, is releasing the VeeStudio Software Development Kit (SDK) for iOS and Android, as well as VeeAssist, a new co-browsing product designed to enhance call center satisfaction. VeeAssist expands the company’s assisted selling solutions, including live video help, from the Web to now also support traditional telephony-based call center engagements, while the mobile toolkit extends its live help solution into brands’ iOS and Android mobile applications.