Content about LOS ANGELES

LOS ANGELES — Specialty sporting goods retailer Sport Chalet is positioning itself as a one-stop shop for school-based fan apparel, field gear and fundraising needs with new online order site and streamlined solution The Sport Chalet Team Site.

Chaminade College Prep, Esperanza High School, Tesoro High School, Triton Touch Down Club and Torrey Pines High School are among early Team Site adopters.

LOS ANGELES — Specialty sporting goods retailer Sport Chalet is looking to public relations boutique agency Formula PR to help establish its brand as a leader within the active lifestyle industry. 

The multi-faceted program will focus on elevating visibility around Sport Chalet’s in-house health and fitness experts, heightening regional awareness through interactive events and custom programs, in addition to connecting with consumers, and positioning the brand as the go-to resource for education, training and gear in the vast sports arena. 

LOS ANGELES, Calif. — The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, a leading specialty coffee and tea retailer, is leveraging wireless technology to retain existing customers and encourage new ones to come into their stores. 

The company will test wireless charging with Power Matters Alliance at select Los Angeles locations and plans to deploy wireless charging with PMA in dozens of California stores this quarter, with the aim of expanding nationally and internationally shortly thereafter.

LOS ANGELES — Guess has appointed former Victoria’s Secret executive Sharleen Ernster Lazear as chief design officer, overseeing all product categories for the Guess brands. She will report to CEO Paul Marciano. 

LOS ANGELES — Walgreens has partnered with NBC to launch a new web series inspired by NBC’s hit weight-loss competition series "The Biggest Loser."

The series follows former contestant Filipe Fa's journey to lose weight and keep it off once and for all.

LOS ANGELES — Herdez, maker of Mexican food products and brand of MegaMex Foods announced today it expects expanded distribution to Walmart stores by June, and filling those shelves will be four new Mexican Cooking Sauces currently lining the sauce aisle at Los Angeles-area Albertsons stores.

The four new sauces include:

WASHINGTON — Walgreens this week opened the doors to its latest flagship location in the nation's capital, bringing to District of Columbia residents and commuters the kind of retail pharmacy theater already familiar with citizens of New York, Chicago and Los Angeles. 

Jim Farrell has joined Stratacache’s interactive media subsidiary enVu to lead the sales effort for a new gestural ad network with intriguing retail applications.

Farrell will be responsible for building and overseeing the sales efforts for enVu’s five North American sales regions including Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Detroit and will focus on cultivating a successful sales and customer service team.

LOS ANGELES — Ikea has been named "best small space solution" by The Intelligence Group, a consumer insights firm, publisher of the Cassandra Report, which highlights youth trends and behavior.

Ikea was one of the winners of the group's first Cass Awards, which were awarded to companies and brands that best reached Generation Y through their marketing efforts last year.

LOS ANGELES — A new line of nutrition bars for dogs is on its way to Walmart.

Though the manufacturer, The All American Pet Co., did not mention the retailer by name, it did say that its three SKUs of NutraBars were on their way to "the world's largest retailer" for its first purchase order.

"We can get the retailer, but we can't write the retailer's purchase order," AAPT CEO Barry Schwartz said. "We created the bar and have the capabilities to meet the demand."

LOS ANGELES — Consumers expect to spend slightly more on Valentine's Day merchandise this year than last year, according to a report by market research firm IBISWorld.

The report forecasts spending of $134.08 per person, compared with last year's $133.99. Total revenue for the holiday is expected to grow by 3.2%, to $20.8 billion, despite incomes and consumer sentiments remaining below what they were before the recession.