Zappos is partnering with San Antonio Spurs forward Rudy Gay to launch a children’s clothing line with the theme "We Can All Ball.” The line features clothes ranging from outerwear to shirts and tops. Some pieces are named after Gay’s two sons, Clint and Dean. Each piece tells part of the player’s story, from the colors (orange and black for his hometown of Baltimore) to the fabrics (mesh for his basketball roots).

Donald E. Frieson has joined Lowe’s as executive vice president, supply chain, effective Aug. 8. He is responsible for the company’s distribution centers, logistics, global sourcing, transportation and delivery services. Frieson most recently served as COO at Sam’s Club, a division of Walmart, where he was responsible for all club operations. In a previous Walmart position, he handled merchandise sourcing and private brand integration.

It started with an Indie brand called Halo Top that came along in 2012. Now, lower calorie, high-protein ice creams allow consumers to lick with less guilt. High- or added-protein claims were featured on 10% of all ice-cream launches in the 12 months ending in June — up from 2% during the same period the previous year, according to global market research firm Mintel. 

In an effort to satisfy its Millennial customers, Abercrombie & Fitch is accepting Venom for online payment. The PayPal subsidiary allows users to exchange money in a social-centric setting, complete with emojis and a newsfeed. The retailer, which targets 21- to 24-year-olds through its Abercrombie brand and teens through Hollister, said mobile app customers are visiting the brands twice as often as the average web customer.

Less than 24 hours before shareholders were scheduled to vote on the deal, Rite Aid and Albertsons appear to have gotten cold feet over a proposed merger. The deal would have resulted in a combined company with 319 health clinics and 4,345 pharmacies. Opposition by stockholders and proxy advisors included the assertion that Albertsons undervalued Rite Aid’s pharmacy benefits management company, EnvisionRx.

Jason Alexander debuts as Colonel Harland Sanders in a multi-media campaign for KFC. The fried chicken purveyor is the lead sponsor and will be omnipresent during ESPN’s conversion this week of ESPN2 to ESPN8 —The Ocho. A promo spot for ESPN8 shows people competing in niche sports while wearing KFC buckets on their head. “What’s For Dinner” features “Sitcom Colonel” living with a family akin to the Brady Bunch.

MillerCoors is ceasing production Of Two Hats, which just debuted in February, and will still instead focus on Coors Light, which has struggled in recent years. Two Hats was aimed at the “next generation of beer drinkers” but had an uphill battle with Millennials seeming to prefer wine and spirits. Marketing for the beer focused on social media and featured the catchphrase "Good cheap beer is coming … so stop your wine-ing.”

Papa John's continues to suffer sales declines--with N.A. same-store sales down by a whopping 10.5% in July and 6.1% in Q2. Management on Monday blamed the trend on "recent events" -- clearly alluding to founder John Schnatter's series of gaffes since November 2017, including having used the "N" word in a May conference call, as reported last month by Forbes. Schnatter, who says he now regrets resigning as chairman, is still on the board and is now suing the company.

Soccer is hot, especially among Millennials. as evidenced by the growing list of brands to hop on the Major League Soccer bandwagon. Audi of America is the latest, inking a four-year partnership as the league’s official automotive partner and title sponsor of the MLS Cup Playoffs. Other brands to sign deals include Heineken (which is the official beer through 2020) and Adidas (six-year, $700 million extension as the official apparel sponsor.)

Dollar Shave Club, Papa John’s, Wendy’s, Dyson and Perdue all have owners who have appeared prominently in ads. Having your owner or founder as the face of the company is risky, mostly when they inevitably do something cringeworthy. But there is an upside to featuring a founder. “This is their passion, the passion fuels the company, and talking about it may be a way to differentiate themselves,” says a marketing professor.