Turkey

Sascha Bopp, Crate & Barrel's CEO, has resigned. Sources confirmed that the announcement was made to employees at the end of the business day yesterday. Bopp, 44, has been CEO since spring of 2012. He joined the company in 2009. He was only the third CEO in the Northbrook, Ill.-based retailer's 52-year history. Gordon Segal, who co-founded the company with his wife, Carole, ran it until 2008. He handed the reins to Barbara Turf, a longtime Crate & Barrel executive who joined the original Crate & Barrel store in Old Town as a part-time sales clerk in 1967.

eBay is expanding its global shipping program (GSP) yet again, this time to nine additional countries, including some located in the Middle East and Southeast Asia. eBay is pushing sellers to use the GSP to make their items available to buyers in 44 countries — soon to be 53 — but without having to ship internationally. eBay will add the following nine countries to the GSP program beginning April 8: Saudi Arabia, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Croatia, Malaysia and Turkey. 

LOS ANGELES -- O.N.E. Coconut Water announces its collaboration with pro beach volleyball star Erin Gray. “O.N.E. Ambassadors are more than celebrities,” observes O.N.E. Marketing VP Chris Cook, “they are people who perform at exceptionally high levels, while living fulfilling lives, exhibiting deep concern for people and serving humanity in meaningful ways. Erin is a world-class athlete in a very demanding sport and a devoted mother of four young children. In addition to teaching inner city kids in the US how to play volleyball, Erin is playing a leading role in supporting young women in Turkey to learn

Every online retailer knows the importance of having an optimized and easy-to-navigate website. They know they need to streamline processes, offer exceptional customer service and have an efficient checkout process. But what about brick-and-mortar stores?

Western businesses can't just assume that the same old dot-com model that has worked so well in the U.S. and Europe will enjoy similar success in other marketplaces. They need to be reminded that even Western markets are unique, so the challenge is really nothing new.