OPERATIONS / SUPPLY CHAIN

New York -- Foot Locker Inc. has appointed Paulette Alvitti as senior VP and chief human resources officer. Alvitti will begin her new role on June 3 and oversee the development and delivery of global human resources, including compensation and benefits, organization and executive development/succession planning, employee engagement, talent management, human resources management systems, and corporate communications. She comes to Foot Locker from PepsiCo, where she spent 17 years, most recently serving as senior VP and chief human resources officer at PepsiCo Asia, Middle East and Africa.

New York -- Wal-Mart Stores pleaded guilty in federal court in San Francisco to improperly handling and disposing of hazardous waste in California and Missouri, and agreed to pay about $82 million in fines. The settlement brings to a close an environmental investigation that lasted some eight years.

Hicksville, N.Y. -- Footlocker was the most tweeted about brand with over 50,000 posts, according to GenSent Insights’ 2013 report on Sporting Goods and Outdoor Retailers. This was more than twice the number of tweets the next closest competitors, Dicks Sporting Goods and REI (generated with just under 20,000 posts each.  

Footlocker’s digital and social media strategy includes creating such properties as Sneakerpedia (a hub for sneaker enthusiasts) Kickstagram, (a photo sharing blog) and Footlocker Unlocked (blogs, games and more).

Cincinnati – As part of its annual Executive Development Program (EDP) and summer internship program, Macy’s Inc. has hired more than 1,000 college students this spring. Hires include 695 recent college graduates for full-time EDP positions, which serve as entry-level executive training positions.

In addition, 325 current college students have been hired for a variety of internships with Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s.

Cincinnati – Former CEO A.G. Lafley, 65, is returning to Procter & Gamble in his former position. Lafley is assuming the role of CEO, president and chairman of the board immediately, and will replace current CEO Bob McDonald, who is retiring June 30. Procter & Gamble has been involved in restructuring efforts, including thousands of layoffs, for the past year and a half.

Merrimack, N.H. -- Brookstone announced the appointment of William E. Watts as the company's new executive chairman of the company's board of directors, effective immediately.

Watts has been a partner of J.W. Childs Associates since June 2001. Previously, he was president and CEO of GNC from 1991 until 2001.

New York -- Consumer confidence climbed to the highest level in more than five years, according to The Conference Board. The group’s closely-watched sentiment index rose to 76.2 in May, the highest since February 2008, and up from a reading of 69.0 in April.

The expectations index jumped to 82.4 in May from 74.3 in April to mark the highest level in seven months. The present situation index rose to 66.7 from 61.0. The share of consumers expecting more jobs to open in the next six months increased to a five-month high.