Chain Store Age Executive Fax articles from April 2004

Chain Store Age Executive Fax archives from April 2004

New stores, new markets.(Brief Article)
April 2, 2004... Rainbow Apparel has leased space at Salisbury (N.C.) Mall.... Barnes & Noble will open in mid 2005 at University Town Centre in Morgantown, W.Va., and at The Shops at Tanforan in San Bruno, Calif.... Jordan Creek Town Center will open this...

Circuit City expands its reach, buys Canadian chain, MusicNow.(Brief Article)
April 2, 2004... If you can't beat 'em, join 'em. Circuit City is spending $284 million in cash to acquire Barrie, Ontario-based InterTan Inc., which operates about 980 stores in Canada under the names RadioShack, Rogers Plus and Battery Plus. The move mimics...

Albertson's buys Shaw's supermarkets.(Brief Article)
April 2, 2004... Albertson's extended its national footprint into Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine by acquiring the Shaw's and Star Markets grocery chains for $2.5 billion. A wholly owned subsidiary of U.K. grocer J...

Consumption growth holds steady.(Brief Article)
April 2, 2004... In the most consuming nation, U.S. personal consumption growth held steady at 0.4% in February, according to the Commerce Department. That figure matches the increase reported in January, but is down from December's 0.5% gain. In related news,...

Penn Traffic Co.(People In The News)(Brief Article)
April 2, 2004... Penn Traffic Co. promoted Robert Chapman to CEO and president. He replaces interim CEO Steven Panagos, who took over the role last August when Joseph Fisher resigned. Chapman has served as VP of Penn Traffic's wholesale and franchise operations...

... Circuit City.(People In The News)(Brief Article)
April 2, 2004... ... Circuit City named Ernest Speranza as senior VP and chief marketing officer, effective April 19. He has spent the past 20 years with Toys "R" Us....

Best Buy Co.(People In The News)(Brief Article)
April 2, 2004... Best Buy Co. has appointed Michael Vitelli, a former Sony executive, as senior VP of consumer electronics and product management.

CEO of footstar's athletic unit out.(People In The News)(Shawn Neville)(Brief Article)
April 2, 2004... One day after Footstar, Inc. announced that it would focus its efforts solely on its Meldisco business, the company said that Shawn Neville, CEO and president of Footstar's athletic segment, is no longer with the company. His duties were...

Time to debut new mag at Wal-Mart.(All You magazine)(Brief Article)
April 2, 2004... Wal-Mart will begin selling a magazine targeted to women in its stores this September. The publication, called All You, will feature editorial from Time, Inc., which will have complete control over the printed material.

Mothers Work 'delivers' for Sears.(Sears, Roebuck and Co.)(Brief Article)
April 2, 2004... Sears continues to expand its softlines merchandise offerings. The department store partnered with Philadelphia-based Mothers Work, Inc. in a move that will see the latter company create a new private-label brand for pregnant women. The line,...

CVS, Jean Coutu said to split Eckerd.(Brief Article)
April 2, 2004... J.C. Penney is said to be close to finalizing the sale of its Eckerd division to CVS and Canadian retailer Jean Coutu Group, Inc. for nearly $4.4 billion in cash. Jean Coutu will reportedly acquire roughly 1,500 stores in the Northeast, a deal...

Federated stores get cozy with Cosi.(Federated Department Stores)(Brief Article)
April 2, 2004... Federated Department Stores will make room for 10 Cosi restaurants this summer and fall at Macy's locations. The in-store eateries from the New York City-based upscale sandwich purveyor will open in Seattle, Atlanta, Miami and Memphis, Tenn.,...

Best buy, eBay partner up for auctions.(Best Buy Co.)(Brief Article)
April 2, 2004... Consumer-electronics giant Best Buy Co. debuted two outlet stores on eBay. The first store, a Best Buy outlet shop, will sell new merchandise in both auction and fixed-price formats. The second store will sell select merchandise that has either...

DDR, LaSalle increase retail holdings.(Developers Diversified Realty )(Jones Lang LaSalle )(L&H Real Estate Group)(Brief Article)
April 2, 2004... Developers Diversified Realty (DDR) is spending roughly $2.3 billion to acquire 100 retail real estate assets from Benderson Development Co. The portfolio, totaling 18.8 million sq. ft., includes locations in 11 states. Upon completion of the...

Nordstrom will open at The Gardens of the Palm Beaches in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., in spring 2006.(New Stores, New Markets)(Brief Article)
April 9, 2004... Nordstrom will open at The Gardens of the Palm Beaches in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., in spring 2006. Tiffany & Co., Louis Vuitton, and Tommy Bahama also plan to open there at that time.

Whole Foods Market.(New Stores, New Markets)(Brief Article)
April 9, 2004... ... Whole Foods Market will relocate its store in Ventura County, Calif., to a larger location.

The Vitamin Shoppe.(New Stores, New Markets)(Brief Article)
April 9, 2004... ... The Vitamin Shoppe just opened in Dallas, Texas. The chain also plans to open in Newport News, Va., this June.

CVS.(New Stores, New Markets)(Brief Article)
April 9, 2004... ... CVS plans to open between 15 to 20 new or relocated stores in Southern California, beginning in June. The drug chain will open in Downey, San Dimas, La Verne, Van Nuys and La Puente, among other cities.

Barnes & Noble opened its first store in Sioux City, Iowa, last month at Southern Hills Mall.(New Stores, New Markets)(Brief Article)
April 9, 2004... ... Barnes & Noble opened its first store in Sioux City, Iowa, last month at Southern Hills Mall. J.C. Penney plans to open there in a former Target location this summer.

Borders.(New Stores, New Markets)(Brief Article)
April 9, 2004... ... This November, Borders will open in Dubuque, Iowa, at Kennedy Mall. It will mark its fourth store in the state.

Crate & Barrel recently set up shop in at La Encantada in Tucson, Ariz.(New Stores, New Markets)(Brief Article)
April 9, 2004... ... Crate & Barrel recently set up shop in at La Encantada in Tucson, Ariz. Later this fall, Cole Haan, Anthropologie and White House|Black Market will open there.

IKEA will open its first store in the Detroit metro area in 2006.(New Stores, New Markets)(Brief Article)
April 9, 2004... ... IKEA will open its first store in the Detroit metro area in 2006 in Canton Township in a former Kmart location.

Cohen Furniture opened in Washington, Ill.(New Stores, New Markets)(Brief Article)
April 9, 2004... ... Cohen Furniture opened in Washington, Ill., in a former Stage Stores location.

With 7.0% March comps growth, chains post best 90 days since 1999.(New Stores, New Markets)(Illustration)
April 9, 2004... Maybe it was warm weather. Maybe it was easy comparisons to March of 2003. Maybe consumers spent freely in hopes of an improving economy. Whatever the reason, sales at retail chain stores in March continued their upward climb. According to the...

Lowe's Cos.(People In The News)(Brief Article)
April 9, 2004... Lowe's Cos. Chairman and CEO Bob Tillman will retire in January. Taking his place will be Robert Niblock, 41, who was born about the time Tillman began his career with the home center chain. The move is described by the company as part of a...

Casual Male Retail Group, Inc.(People In The News)(Brief Article)
April 9, 2004... Casual Male Retail Group, Inc. has elected James Frain to its board of directors. He currently serves as senior VP of marketing for Chico's FAS....

Drugstore.com.(People In The News)(Brief Article)
April 9, 2004... Drugstore.com appointed Bud Albers as its chief technology officer. He most recently served as senior VP and chief technology officer of Getty Images....

The Home Depot.(People In The News)(Brief Article)
April 9, 2004... The Home Depot named Brad Shaw to the post of senior VP of corporate communications and external affairs. He previously performed similar duties for Poway, Calif.-based Gateway.

Rite aid produces dramatic swing.(Rite Aid Corp. )(Brief Article)
April 9, 2004... After struggling mightily in 2002 with a loss of $112.1 million, Camp Hill, Pa.-based Rite Aid Corp. rebounded with net income of $83.3 million for the year ended Feb. 28. Same-store sales grew 5.7%, consisting of 6.4% pharmacy-sales growth and...

A popular vote goes against Wal-Mart.(Brief Article)
April 9, 2004... Voters in Inglewood, Calif., rejected a proposal on Tuesday that would have cleared the way for a Wal-Mart supercenter near Los Angeles. The vote was widely viewed as an important test case for the giant retailer's ability to take its case for...

It's the end of a retail era for gateway.(Gateway Inc.)(Brief Article)
April 9, 2004... The door has closed on Gateway Inc.'s retail empire, which once boasted 320 computer stores. The company said it will close its 188 remaining retail stores, which had been routinely criticized by analysts as a drag on earnings and cash flow....

J.C. Penney sells Eckerd to drug rivals.(Brief Article)
April 9, 2004... With J.C. Penney's sale of Eckerd, the U.S. American drug store industry has undergone an extreme makeover. After purchasing some 1,260 Eckerd stores for $2.15 billion, CVS Corp. now leads the nation in drugstore locations with more than 5,000,...

Spiegel's Eddie Bauer apparel subsidiary is up for sale, following the failure of Spiegel's majority owner Michael Otto to arrange the financing to maintain control of the company.(This Week's Retail News Nuggets)(Brief Article)
April 9, 2004... Spiegel's Eddie Bauer apparel subsidiary is up for sale, following the failure of Spiegel's majority owner Michael Otto to arrange the financing to maintain control of the company. Spiegel has been in bankruptcy since March of last year.

Members of the United Food and Commercial Workers extended their contract with Kroger Co. in Houston.(This Week's Retail News Nuggets)(Brief Article)
April 9, 2004... ... Members of the United Food and Commercial Workers extended their contract with Kroger Co. in Houston through April 24 to allow time for negotiations assisted by a federal mediator.

New stores, new markets.(Brief Article)
April 16, 2004... Kohl's and Pier 1 Imports will open this fall at The Plaza at EastChase, located in Montgomery, Ala.... Wild Oats Markets opens later this month in Superior, Colo.... GNC has leased space at Hamilton (N.J.) Marketplace.... Goody's Family...

Divergence in spending optimism; more say they will--and won't.(Brief Article)
April 16, 2004... With tax refunds making their way into consumers' hands, more Americans noted that they plan to spend those dollars in retail stores. Conversely, a greater percentage of consumers have said they will use their refunds for other means. The news...

Best buy shifts tech jobs to accenture.(Best Buy Company Inc.)(Brief Article)
April 16, 2004... After denying reports last month that it was planning to outsource some of its IT employees, Best Buy Co. confirmed this week that it plans to reduce its in-house information-services staff by 130 positions. Those jobs will be transferred to...

Marsh diversifies, opens restaurant.(Marsh Supermarkets Inc.)(Brief Article)
April 16, 2004... Consumers have long come to supermarkets to buy ingredients for home-cooked meals. Now, shoppers in the Hoosier State have the option of eating at a supermarket-owned restaurant. Marsh Supermarkets opened its first-ever restaurant near the...

Party City Corp. named Lisa Laube as chief merchandising officer.(People In The News)(Brief Article)
April 16, 2004... Party City Corp. named Lisa Laube as chief merchandising officer. She most recently served as VP of merchandising at The White Barn Candle Co....

J. Crew Group named Amanda Bokman as executive VP and CFO, effective May 10.(People In The News)(vice president)(chief financial officer)(Brief Article)
April 16, 2004... J. Crew Group named Amanda Bokman as executive VP and CFO, effective May 10. She most recently was senior VP, CFO of one of the four major segments of Jones Apparel Group....

Gadzooks.(People In The News)(Titan Enterprises Inc.)(Brief Article)
April 16, 2004... Gadzooks named Carol Greer as its permanent president and chief merchandising officer. She had been serving in the position on an interim basis since early February....

Pacific Sunwear appointed Thomas Kennedy as president of its name-brand division, effective May 10.(People In The News)(Brief Article)
April 16, 2004... Pacific Sunwear appointed Thomas Kennedy as president of its name-brand division, effective May 10. He previously held executive posts at Nike and Gap....

Toys "R" Us.(People In The News)(Brief Article)
April 16, 2004... Toys "R" Us promoted Raymond Arthur to the post of CFO. He replaces Louis Libschitz, who is retiring.

Will Burd keep his titles at safeway?(Steven Burd)(Safeway Inc.)(Brief Article)
April 16, 2004... Safeway, Inc.'s board of directors wants to keep the positions of chairman and CEO under the helm of one person. The board has recommended that its shareholders vote against a separation of the posts, currently held by Steven Burd. Recently, a...

U.S. jobless claims climb to 360,000.(Brief Article)
April 16, 2004... Dashing hopes that the U.S. economy is beginning to produce a sustained recovery in jobs, the Labor Department reported Thursday that the number of people filing claims for unemployment benefits rose to a seasonally adjusted level of 360,000....

Marshall field's to join federated?(Federated Department Stores Inc.)(Brief Article)
April 16, 2004... Federated Department Stores, Inc. was reported this week to be exploring a possible acquisition of Marshall Field's, a division of Target Corp. The discount retailer announced last month that it was reviewing alternatives for the 62-store...

Snyder's nears chapter 11 emergence.(Snyder's Drug Stores Inc.)(Brief Article)
April 16, 2004... Snyder's Drug Stores Inc. is expected to emerge from Chapter 11 later this month. The retailer's reorganization plan was approved last week by a Cleveland federal bankruptcy judge, according to the Saint Paul Pioneer Press. Snyder's, which...

This week's retail news nuggets.(Brief Article)
April 16, 2004... Footstar agreed this week to sell 350 of its remaining 353 Footaction stores to Foot Locker for $160 million in cash.... Weis Markets, Inc. plans to spend roughly $93 million in capital expenditures this year. The grocer anticipates building...

New stores, new markets.(Brief Article)
April 23, 2004... Shaw's Supermarket just opened a store in Freeport, Maine, its 21st store in the state.... Publix signed leases for four new stores in the Montgomery, Ala., market. The grocer will open at The Shoppes at Cornerstone, Zelda Place, Taylor...

Men are dressing for success: tailored clothing a new fashion.(Brief Article)
April 23, 2004... Men's apparel retailers may want to keep a stock of tailors available to their consumers. A recent study by market research firm NPD Group, based in Port Washington, N.Y., discovered that men are opting for tailored clothing items, such as...

Kroger to compensate strike buddies.(Brief Article)
April 23, 2004... Kroger said it will pay $116 million to Safeway and Albertson's under terms of a mutual-aid agreement the three retailers established before the strike and lockout in Southern California, which was resolved earlier this year, according to an...

Weekly sales continue growth.(Brief Article)
April 23, 2004... In the week ending April 17, same-store sales rose 1.0% compared to the prior week, according to the ICSC-UBS Weekly U.S. Retail Chain Store Sales Index. Same-store sales also reported a 5.9% gain over the same week last year. While sales were...

The Wet Seal, Inc. appointed Douglas Felderman as its new CFO.(People In The News)(chief financial officer)(Brief Article)
April 23, 2004... The Wet Seal, Inc. appointed Douglas Felderman as its new CFO. He replaces William Langsdorf, who resigned last November. Joe Deckop had filled the CFO post on an interim basis. Felderman most recently served as CFO of Factory 2-U Stores...

Frank Tworecke, president and COO of The Bon-Ton Stores, Inc.(People In The News)(chief operating officer)(Brief Article)
April 23, 2004... Frank Tworecke, president and COO of The Bon-Ton Stores, Inc., has tendered his resignation, effective May 7. He will join Warnaco as group president of sportswear....

Winn-Dixie Stores.(People In The News)(Brief Article)
April 23, 2004... Winn-Dixie Stores named Mark Sellers group VP of retail operations. He most recently was division president of South Florida....

Ahold appointed Robert Fishbune as CFO of its U.S. Foodservice unit.(People In The News)(chief financial officer)(Brief Article)
April 23, 2004... Ahold appointed Robert Fishbune as CFO of its U.S. Foodservice unit. Most recently serving in the same capacity at Specialty Foods Corp., he replaces Michael Resnick, who resigned last May.

Design firm Fitch acquires RPA.(Retail Planning Associates)(Brief Article)
April 23, 2004... Fitch, a leading design firm with studios in 12 countries, acquired RPA (formerly known as Retail Planning Associates). The new company, Fitch:RPA, will be based in Columbus, Ohio. It will be a division of Fitch specializing in retail design...

"M" is for the many things to buy her.(Mother's Day)(Brief Article)
April 23, 2004... Consumers plan to spend a bit more this year on Mother's Day. A recent study conducted by BIGresearch, on behalf of the National Retail Federation, found that shoppers will spend an average of $98.64, up slightly from an average of $97.37 last...

Judge rejects Rite Aid exec's plea deal.(Martin Grass )(Brief Article)
April 23, 2004... Siding with the U.S. Probation Office, U.S. District Judge Sylvia Rambo rejected a plea deal this week that would have seen former Rite Aid chief executive Martin Grass serve a maximum of eight years for his part in an accounting conspiracy....

Fortunoff says it's not up for sale.(Fortunoff Fine Jewelry and Silverware Inc.)(Brief Article)
April 23, 2004... Furniture and jewelry retailer Fortunoff may be looking for some capital funds, but it is not looking for a buyer. The company denied a report in the New York Post this week that it was up for sale. On the contrary, Fortunoff said it is seeking...

This week's retail news nuggets.(Brief Article)
April 23, 2004... Albertson's will close its seven stores in New Orleans, an unprofitable market for the company. The closings will not affect its stores in the Baton Rouge area, where it is a market leader.... General Growth Properties is spending $430.8...

Jo-Ann Stores.(New Stores, New Markets)(Brief Article)
April 30, 2004... Jo-Ann Stores has opened its first superstore in the Denver market at Brookhill Town Center in Westminster....

Wal-Mart plans to build a Neighborhood Market store in Albuquerque.(New Stores, New Markets)(Brief Article)
April 30, 2004... Wal-Mart plans to build a Neighborhood Market store in Albuquerque, N.M....

Walgreens.(New Stores, New Markets)(Brief Article)
April 30, 2004... Look for Walgreens to open this August in Orangeburg, S.C....

Boscov.(New Stores, New Markets)(Brief Article)
April 30, 2004... Boscov's opens next weekend at Harrisburg (Pa.) East Mall, its third store in the area. This fall, the retailer will open in Altoona, Pa....

Bloomingdale.(New Stores, New Markets)(Brief Article)
April 30, 2004... A new six-level Bloomingdale's has opened in the SoHo district of Manhattan....

Lowe's and Kohl's have agreed to be anchor tenants at Pinehurst Square.(New Stores, New Markets)(Brief Article)
April 30, 2004... Lowe's and Kohl's have agreed to be anchor tenants at Pinehurst Square, a new shopping center that will open in Bismarck, N.D....

Limited Too.(New Stores, New Markets)(Brief Article)
April 30, 2004... Limited Too just opened at Georgia Square Mall in Athens, Ga....

Food Lion.(New Stores, New Markets)(Brief Article)
April 30, 2004... Food Lion cut the ribbon on a store in Durham, N.C....

The Sports Authority.(New Stores, New Markets)(Brief Article)
April 30, 2004... The Sports Authority just added a store in King of Prussia, Pa....

Sneaker manufacturer Nike will open a nikewoman store this July.(New Stores, New Markets)(Brief Article)
April 30, 2004... Sneaker manufacturer Nike will open a nikewoman store this July at South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa, Calif....

Henry's Marketplace.(New Stores, New Markets)(Brief Article)
April 30, 2004... Henry's Marketplace will add a store this June in Phoenix....

Construction will commence this fall on The Plaza at Grand Prairie.(New Stores, New Markets)(Brief Article)
April 30, 2004... Construction will commence this fall on The Plaza at Grand Prairie, located in Peoria, Ill. As of presstime, no tenants had been named....

Safeway.(New Stores, New Markets)(Brief Article)
April 30, 2004... Safeway opened its second store in Stockton, Calif....

Bible Factory Outlet.(New Stores, New Markets)(Brief Article)
April 30, 2004... Bible Factory Outlet opened in Birch Run, Mich.

Economic indicators fare well: new homes, confidence and sales.(Brief Article)
April 30, 2004... The good news came in waves this week, as major economic indicators gave a boost to the retail industry's hopes for a sustained economic recovery. New home sales hit an all-time high in March by recording a 1.228 million annual rate, up 8.9%...

Kmart and MSO make nice, extend pact.(Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia)(Brief Article)
April 30, 2004... Kmart and Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia (MSO) put lawsuits behind them. They also removed doubt that the two might part ways any time soon. The retailer said it will withdraw its lawsuit over royalties and the two companies will extend their...

After three-year slump, c-stores surge.(Brief Article)
April 30, 2004... The convenience store industry rebounded in 2003 with sales surging 16.0% over those of 2002 to a record $337 billion. Pre-tax profits increased a robust 54.6% to reach $4.04 billion, according to the National Association of Convenience Stores...

Circuit City Stores.(People In The News)(Brief Article)
April 30, 2004... Kim Maguire resigned as executive VP and chief merchandising officer of Circuit City Stores. A replacement has yet to be named. Alan McCollough, chairman, president and CEO, will oversee merchandising until a successor is named....

Safeway.(People In The News)(Brief Article)
April 30, 2004... Safeway appointed Brian Cornell, a former PepsiCo executive, as its new executive VP and chief marketing officer....

Best Buy Co.(People In The News)(Brief Article)
April 30, 2004... Best Buy Co. appointed Robert Willett as executive VP of operations. He previously served as global managing partner of Accenture Consulting in London. He also has advised Best Buy's board on operational issues....

Charlotte Russe Holding.(People In The News)(Brief Article)
April 30, 2004... Charlotte Russe Holding hired Michael Elleman as senior VP of real estate and construction. He had been a VP with Limited Brands for the past four and a half years....

Pacific Sunwear of California.(People In The News)(Brief Article)
April 30, 2004... Joseph Harris was appointed VP of sourcing and production for Pacific Sunwear of California. Harris replaces Diane Nance, who will be leaving the company today....

Cost Plus.(People In The News)(Brief Article)
April 30, 2004... Cost Plus hired Theresa Strickland, formerly of Pottery Barn and Macy's West, as executive VP, merchandising and marketing....