Known for its empowering campaigns, Vans launched “Girls Skate India” as a way to engage young women on a global scale. The project is the kick-off to “This Is Off The Wall,” a campaign of empowerment through diverse stories. Now it’s expanding to teach girls worldwide how to skateboard with more than 100 clinics starting today in cities including Brooklyn, Chicago, London, St. Petersburg, Shanghai, Bangalore, São Paulo and Mexico City. 

Russ Solomon was the driving force behind a sprawling enterprise that began with one store in 1960 and grew into a dominant competitor in music retailing. Sales of recorded music, videos and books eventually topped $1 billion a year. With marketing instincts that even rivals and critics called ingenious, he built megastores, some bigger than football fields, and stocked them with as many as 125,000 titles, virtually all of the popular and classical recordings on the market.

Walmart Inc. will start offering prepared meals at its stores for the first time, a move that could help the nation’s biggest grocer sell more food. Ten different meals are now available in 250 stores, and the program will expand to 2,000 locations. The company also is introducing four $15 meal-kit options in stores, expanding a business that had previously been offered online only through outside vendors.

Last year, Pizza Hut made the world’s first shoe that ordered pizza. This year, the brand is making the world’s second shoe that orders pizza—and pauses live TV, so viewers won’t miss a thing when their March Madness pizza gets delivered. The shoes let the wearer order two medium 2-topping pizzas for $5.99 each. Only 50 pairs of Pie Tops II will be released the week of March 19.

One consumer is challenging the new age restrictions that some retailers have put in place for buying guns. Tyler Watson, 20, has filed lawsuits against Walmart and Dick’s Sporting Goods for age discrimination after the two retailers refused to sell him a rifle. Oregon state law allows residents who are at least 18 years old to buy shotguns and rifles. The lawsuit is believed to be the first filed over the retailers’ new gun policies.

Brian Flinn, who was formerly WWE's executive vice president, marketing and communications since 2015, will now oversee all marketing and corporate communications functions, including global consumer marketing, WWE network marketing, creative services, special events, publicity, media relations and corporate communications. He will report to WWE co-president Michelle Wilson.

Following the success of its AirPods, Apple is planning to launch another audio accessory. This time it will be high-end, over-ear wireless headphones. The headphones will reportedly be Apple-branded, meaning they would directly compete with Apple’s existing headphone brand, Beats. But as history shows, Apple is not afraid to cannibalize itself. It famously made its iPods obsolete with the advent of the iPhone.

Last month, 3,000 employees of Bacardi Limited made their way to bars. The goal: Interact with bartenders and other patrons in an effort to generate goodwill and sales. Besides Bacardi rum, the company’s brands include Grey Goose vodka, Dewar’s Scotch and Bombay Sapphire gin. The one-day initiative, called “Back to the Bar,” was partly the result of brainstorming sessions involving the consulting firm Instinctif Partners.

National Rifle Association spokesperson Dana Loesch promoted her new TV show with a controversial message on Twitter. In a video, Loesch stands in front of a black background as dramatic music plays. She calls out "every lying member of the media," "every Hollywood phony," and "the role-model athletes who use their free speech to alter and undermine what our flag represents.” She tells them, "Your time is running out.” 

Public pressure against companies connected to the gun industry following last month's school shooting in Florida has hit an unlikely target: REI. The retailer, which doesn't sell guns, says it will stop ordering ski goggles, water bottles, bike helmets and other products from some popular brands — including CamelBak, Giro and Bolle — because their parent company, Vista Outdoor, also makes ammunition and assault-style rifles.