OPERATIONS / SUPPLY CHAIN

Minneapolis -- Christopher & Banks Corp. said Monday it has named LuAnn Via president and CEO, effective Nov. 26.

Via, also named to the retailer’s board of directors, succeeds Joel Waller, who will remain in a consultative capacity through June 30, 2013.

Since July 2008, Via has served as president and CEO of Payless ShoeSource, a subsidiary of Collective Brands, which recently was acquired.

Katy, Texas -- After placing some restricted Houston Astros merchandise on the sales floors of several of its Houston stores, Academy Sports + Outdoors issued a formal apology to the Major League Baseball team and its fans.

"We express our apologies to Houston Astros fans, our partners at the Houston Astros ball club, along with Major League Baseball for inadvertently releasing the new Astros t-shirts in limited quantity," said Rodney Faldyn, Academy Sports + Outdoors president and CEO.

San Jose, Calif. -- eBay has eliminated approximately 325 jobs from its PayPal division. As a result, the company has announced a planned fourth quarter pretax restructuring charge of approximately $15 million related to staff reductions at the company's PayPal business unit. PayPal also is ending contracts with approximately 120 contractors globally.

Dallas -- Jewelry wholesaler and retailer DGSE Cos. said Friday it has named James J. Vierling as president, CEO and chairman of the board.

Vierling, previously president of Southern Bullion Coin & Jewelry which was recently acquired by DGSE, succeeds William Oyster in all three positions.

Bolingbrook, Ill. -- Ulta Beauty said Monday that it has named DSW Inc. president and CEO Michael MacDonald to its board of directors, effective Oct. 24.

Prior to joining DSW in 2009, MacDonald served for three years as chairman and CEO of ShopKo Stores. Prior to that, he spent 16 years with Carson Pirie Scott and with Saks Inc. after it acquired Carson Pirie Scott in 1998.

New York -- As Hurricane Sandy bears down on the northeastern U.S., retailers are doing more than stocking up on emergency supplies for their customers – they are making preparations to protect themselves.

According to a Friday report by MarketWatch, Sears Holdings Corp., for example, has a 45-person crisis command team in place to stay in close communication with its personnel housed at Sears and Kmart stores in the at-risk areas.

Bentonville, Ark. -- Wal-Mart Stores Inc. announced the completion of its increased investment in Yihaodian, a fast-growing Chinese e-commerce company. The chain now holds an approximate 51% stake in the Yihaodian holding company.

"This investment demonstrates we are committed to the development of e-commerce in China and bringing the best possible shopping experience to Chinese customers," said Neil Ashe, president and CEO of Wal-Mart's Global e-commerce division in a statement.

New York -- Results of the 16th annual Brand Keys Loyalty Leaders survey released Friday revealed that Apple, Amazon, Samsung, YouTube and Twitter have the most loyal followings.