The Supply Side: Wal-Mart retail news briefs

• Sam’s head merchant bound for Claire’s Stores
Linda Hefner Filler, executive vice president and chief merchandising officer for Sam’s Club, resigned that post to assume a major leadership role for Claire’s Stores.

Hefner Filler will serve as president for the accessory apparel chain’s North American business effective March 1.

She will be responsible for all operational and strategic initiatives for the Claire’s business in the approximately 1,500 Claire’s stores in the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.

Jim Fielding, CEO of Claire’s Stores said,“Linda’s experience and expertise in the areas of retail operations,strategic planning, brand management and business analysis will serve her well in her new role. She is known for her ability to build and lead talented teams toward a common vision. I am excited to add a talent of her caliber to our senior executive team. She is an inspirational leader and communicator, and I look forward to working with her.”

Aside from her work at Sam’s Club, Hefner Filler also worked as an executive vice president and general manager for Wal-Mart Stores Home Division for three years. She also worked for suppliers Kraft Foods and Sara Lee Corp.

• Best Buy woos customers with price matching
Best Buy  hopes to kick up sales a notch by renewing a price-matching program it put in place for most of the holiday season. The electronic’s big box retailer said it will give customers who ask the same price as both online and brick-and-mortar competitors.

This program begins March 3 and will match prices of all local retail competitors and 19 top online rivals in all product categories and for most in-stock products.

Best Buy said the move signaled the end of "showrooming," in which shoppers go to a brick-and-mortar store to try out a product but purchase the item online for a lower price instead.

Best Buy is scheduled to report its fourth-quarter results at the end of February.