OPERATIONS / SUPPLY CHAIN

Mooresville, N.C. -- Lowe’s Cos. said Friday that Sylvain Prud'homme will join the company as president of Lowe's Canada, effective March 25.

Prud’homme replaces Alan D. Huggins, who is returning to the United States as Lowe's VP international operations.

Prud'homme comes to Lowe's from Loblaw Co., where he served in EVP roles in operations and merchandising.

Chicago -- Claire's Stores announced Friday that Dina Keenan has been appointed global SVP and chief marketing officer, effectively immediately.

Keenan’s experience in marketing strategy, brand development, advertising and retail include stints at Bath & Body Works, Elizabeth Arden Red Door Salons & Spas, and Bozell Worldwide.

One of the initial focuses for Keenan will be to align her organization to support the global brand needs of Claire's and Icing, the company said.

Philadelphia -- A post-holiday e-commerce report released Friday by technology company Monetate said that, on Christmas Day 2012, 16% of all e-commerce traffic came from smartphones and 15.6% came from tablets, a marked upswing from a year earlier when just 6.4% came from smartphones and 8% from tablets.

Seattle -- Sur La Table said Thursday it has promoted Jacob Maurer to the position of SVP – general merchandising manager for the kitchen goods chain.

The promotion is effective immediately, and will put Maurer in charge of all merchandise buying and product development functions for the company.

New York -- Delhaize America is cutting 500 jobs, according to published reports.

News media in North Carolina reported that the Belgian supermarket operator's American subsidiary would cut 350 jobs and 150 open positions as part of a reorganization. Employees of the company received notifications of the layoffs via email, according to the reports.

Dallas -- Alliance Data Systems Corp. announced Thursday that its Canadian loyalty business signed a new multi-year agreement with Staples Canada Inc., which operates about 330 locations under the banners Staples and Bureau en Gros.

Staples Canada joined Alliance’s Air Miles Reward Program, under which reward miles are redeemed for more than 1,000 different rewards. The retailer will launch the program in-store and online in March.

New York -- Verizon Communications on Thursday elected Greg Wasson, Walgreens president and CEO, to the Verizon board of directors, effective March 1.

"Greg Wasson brings to Verizon an in-depth knowledge of the retail and healthcare industries," said Lowell McAdam, Verizon

chairman and CEO. "He offers a unique perspective as the leader of a successful Fortune 50 company focused on innovation,

traditional and nontraditional growth, operational and technical excellence, and multichannel integration.”

Los Angeles -- Survey results released Thursday by PriceGrabber found that 62% of consumers plan to spend as much as $100 on gifts for Valentine’s Day, down from 68% in 2012. However, 36% plan to spend more than $100 compared with 28% last year.