Management

Family Dollar launched an in-store shopper behavior monitoring system using video and advanced analytics in 20 of its stores, measuring customers’ real-time interactions with designs, displays and promotions.

Ascena Retail Group announced that John Sullivan has been appointed executive vice president and chief operating officer. In this newly created position, Sullivan will be responsible for information technology, distribution and human resources information systems across all brands.

Urban Outfitters announced a series of management changes across all its brands, including naming David W. McCreight to the new position of CEO, Anthropologie Group, effective Nov. 15.

From the start, the casual shoes were known by a single name: Vans. James Van Doren, who ran the company from 1976 to 1984, died Oct. 12 at his home in Fullerton after a long illness, said his wife, Char. He was 72.

Aaron’s announced that for personal health reasons Robert C. Loudermilk Jr. has resigned his position as president and chief executive officer of the company.

Starbucks, which laid off 39,000 employees over the two years ending last fall, is about to start hiring again. By year’s end, Starbucks will have a new barista battalion, some 3,500 strong, pulling on their aprons and dealing with steam burns. Next year will see 200 new Starbucks added to the nearly 11,000 existing ones. Those will need to be staffed up while 1,700 other Starbucks go through job-creation remodeling.

Target's Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Doug Scovanner plans to retire from his posts next year. The discounter said that Scovanner will retire on March 31, 2012.

One month after eBay CEO John Donahoe brought in an outsider to head its Marketplaces business, eBay executive Dinesh Lathi left for a new role at retailer One Kings Lane, a home decor flash-sales site.

Cabela's is finding that its smaller format stores are performing 30 percent to 40 percent better than its traditional locations in several key areas, so the retailer plans to build on these results by opening additional smaller format stores.

Customer loyalty programs span everything from online coupons and discounts to VIP rewards and free shipping promotions. Some retailers use a points system to reward frequent buyers while others use social networking sites like Facebook to generate product reviews and recommendations. Regardless of which method you prefer, loyalty programs are the lifeblood of e-commerce.