News

STAMFORD, Conn. — Pitney Bowes has appointed Marc B. Lautenbach as its new president and CEO, effective immediately. Lautenbach succeeds Murray D. Martin, who is retiring as the company’s chairman, president and CEO and has resigned from the company’s board of directors.

Martin will continue to work with Lautenbach, who has nearly 30 years of experience in the technology and business services industry in senior leadership positions at IBM, on an effective transition.

ATLANTA — The Coca-Cola Company and Select Milk Producers have teamed up to acquire the newly created Fair Oaks Farms Brands, which owns and operates Core Power, a high protein milkshake.

With the Fair Oaks Farms Brands, the Coca-Cola Company and Select will expand an ever-growing portfolio of brands and products, which will now feature dairy.

Abuse of liberal return policies and enterprising thieves will cost the retail industry $8.9 billion this year, including $2.9 billion during the holidays alone.

The National Retail Federation arrived at those massive numbers after surveying loss prevention executives at 60 member companies who estimated that 4.6% returns made during the holidays are fraudulent.

EVANSVILLE, Ind. — Former Belk executive Carl Scibetta has been named the new EVP and GMM at Shoe Carnival. Scibetta will report to Cliff Sifford, the former GMM, who was recently appointed president and CEO of the company.

Leading third party logistic provider Transplace has acquired Canada’s Torus Freight Systems.

Transplace, a leading provider of transportation management services and logistics technology, acquired for an undisclosed sum Torus Freight Systems, a Canadian-based logistics services company focused on Canadian cross-border and intra-Canada freight.

FRAMINGHAM, Mass. — Staples and LinkedIn have teamed up to launch SUCCEED: Small Business Network, an online forum for small business professionals.

New York -- Multiple reports on Tuesday revealed that private equity firm Leonard Green & Partners disclosed in a regulatory filing that it has upped its stake in shoe retailer DSW Inc. to 1.3 million shares – or 3% of the company.

The news sent DSW shares upward as much as 6% on Tuesday.

Leonard Green previously owned 981,196 shares in DSW before raising its stake. It was forced to disclose its new position after a request for confidential treatment expired on Nov. 28.

Stamford, Conn. -- Pitney Bowes Inc. said that leathergoods retailer Dooney & Bourke will use technology and shipping services from Pitney Bowes to help expand the global online reach of its handbags and accessories.

Dooney & Bourke will use Pitney Bowes’s e-commerce software and international shipping services to help offer a seamless and convenient cross-border purchasing and shipping experience to online shoppers to destinations in up to 90 countries worldwide.
 

Houston -- A Tuesday report by NPD Group found that total consumer traffic through convenience stores was down 2.1% in the third quarter, compared with the same period last year.

NPD’s convenience store market research reports that the traffic decline this quarter was largely driven by lower purchase frequency (5.9 visits per 30 days), but was also influenced by a slight decline in the overall reach of the channel (only 50.2% of consumers aged 16+).
 

Framingham, Mass. -- The impact of omnichannel retail on the supply chain, customer experience and merchandise optimization is one of IDC Retail Insights’ Top 10 Predictions for the Retail Industry in 2013.

IDC will reveal the complete list on Dec. 6 (for more information, http://bit.ly/RI_Predictions2013_Retail), but as a “preview,” the company predicts the following three trends will make an impact on the retail industry in the coming year: