Chain Store Age Executive Fax articles from April 2005

Chain Store Age Executive Fax archives from April 2005

New stores, new markets.(OfficeMax Inc., Girlshop Inc. and Whole Foods Market Inc. opens new stores)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... The 1.5 million-sq.-ft. open-air St. Johns Town Center recently opened in Jacksonville, Fla. Retailers at the center include Dillard's, Barnes & Noble, Dick's Sporting Goods, Target, Ashley Furniture, Designer Shoe Warehouse, Jo-Ann Fabrics,...

Wal-Mart director Coughlin resigns amid funds investigation.
April 1, 2005... Thomas M. Coughlin resigned from Wal-Mart Stores' board of directors following an internal probe into the use of corporate-owned gift cards and personal reimbursements. According to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Coughlin...

Castagna to lead Mervyn's, maybe more.(Vanessa Castagna appointed at Cerberus Capital Management)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Vanessa Castagna shouldn't be counted out at J.C. Penney yet. The former CEO and president signed on to be a full-time senior member of the operations team at private-equity firm Cerberus Capital Management, which is rumored to be eyeing a...

Saks may sell Saks Fifth Avenue, too.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Saks, Inc.'s efforts to sell its department store division seem to be picking up steam, and reports say the company also may be contemplating a sale of its Saks Fifth Avenue division. With the help of Goldman Sachs and Citigroup, the retailer...

May Department Stores.(People In The News)(John Dunham appointed)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... May Department Stores has tapped John Dunham as its permanent chairman and CEO. Dunham already had been May's president, and had assumed the duties of acting chairman and CEO upon the Jan. 14 resignation of Gene Kahn....

Yankee Candle Co.(People In The News)(Bruce H. Besanko appointed)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Yankee Candle Co. has named Bruce H. Besanko as CFO to replace the retiring Robert R. Spellman. Besanko joins the candle maker and retailer from Best Buy, where he held the post of VP of finance. Prior to working at Best Buy, Besanko held...

The Talbots Inc.(People In The News)(Robert S. Sosankin appointed)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... The Talbots, Inc. has named Robert S. Sosankin as senior VP, merchandise administration and inventory management. Sosankin has more than 25 years of experience in merchandise planning and control. His previous post was as senior VP, planning,...

Autobytel.(People In The News)(Matthew McDowell resigned from Autobytel.com Inc.)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Autobytel's VP and controller, Matthew McDowell, has resigned as the company faces a delisting of its shares on Nasdaq next week....

Hewlett-Packard Co.(People In The News)(Mark Hurd appointed)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Hewlett-Packard Co. has named NCR Corp.'s Mark Hurd to be its next CEO, to replace the ousted Carly Fiorina....

RedEnvelope Inc.(People In The News)(Eric Wong resigned, Polly Boe and Joseph C. Gandolfo appointed)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... RedEnvelope Inc. CFO Eric Wong will resign, effective on or about April 18. He will be replaced by Polly Boe, who most recently served as CFO of Sundance Catalog. The company also has named Joseph C. Gandolfo, former president of worldwide...

Peet's Coffee & Tea.(People In The News)(Michael Linton appointed)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Best Buy marketing executive Michael Linton has been elected to the board of directors of Peet's Coffee & Tea.

Management shake-up begins at Sears.(Sears, Roebuck and Co.'s takeover by Kmart Holding Corp.)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Four Sears, Roebuck and Co. executives were terminated, with two being replaced by Kmart executives, according to a report in the Chicago Sun-Times. The shake-up comes a week after Kmart's $12.3 billion takeover of Sears was approved. The...

Blockbuster settles in more ways than one.(misadvertisements, acquisition of Hollywood Entertainment Corp. abandoned)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Blockbuster Inc. weathered a tough week, as the retailer abandoned the fight to acquire rival Hollywood Entertainment Corp. Blockbuster had been locked in a bidding war with Movie Gallery Inc. to buy Hollywood Entertainment, but dropped the bid...

Circuit City, RadioShack in licensing tiff.(InterTAN Inc. and RadioShack Corp. in brand name case)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Circuit City Stores Inc. said it would appeal a Texas district court ruling that RadioShack Corp. could end a licensing contract with Circuit City's InterTan unit, which operates 980 company-owned and dealer stores in Canada under the...

This week's retail news nuggets.(Asian-language advertising efforts by Wal-Mart Stores Inc., store conversion plans by Safeway Inc.)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Wal-Mart Stores will court the rapidly growing Asian-American demographic with its first Asian-language advertising campaign to debut in select cities on April 1. The print and television ads will appear in Cantonese, Mandarin, Vietnamese and...

New stores, new markets.(Barnes & Noble Inc.)(Ethan Allen Inc.)(Reiss)(Brief Article)
April 8, 2005... Barnes & Noble has opened a 35,600-sq.-ft. store in Brookfield Square in Brookfield, Wis.; the town's existing Barnes & Noble store will close. The bookseller will open a 27,000-sq.-ft. store in the Southlands Town Center in Aurora, Colo., in...

Easter shift lifts March sales, drug stores lead way to 4.1% gain.
April 8, 2005... March produced a mixed-bag sales performance, but it could have been a lot worse. Industrywide comp-store sales increased 4.1% in the month, based on the International Council of Shopping Centers' (ICSC's) tally of 71 chain stores. The Easter...

Things remembered has made the following management promotions.(People In The News)(Brief Article)
April 8, 2005... Things Remembered has made the following management promotions: Dave Stefko is now senior VP and chief administrative officer; Terry Mulhern has been promoted to VP, marketing; and Alice Guiney has moved up to VP, human resources.

Advance Auto Parts, Inc., the nation's second-largest retailer of auto parts, has named Elwyn Murray executive VP, administration.(People In The News)(Brief Article)
April 8, 2005... Advance Auto Parts, Inc., the nation's second-largest retailer of auto parts, has named Elwyn Murray executive VP, administration. He previously served as senior VP, store operations at Food Lion.

Signet Group PLC.(People In The News)(James McAdam resigns from the board )(Brief Article)
April 8, 2005... James McAdam CBE, chairman of London-based Signet Group PLC, will resign from the board in June 2006. He previously served as CEO for the company, which is the world's largest specialty retail jeweler, and was appointed chairman in 1992.

Jennifer Convertibles, Inc.(People In The News)(appointments)(Brief Article)
April 8, 2005... Jennifer Convertibles, Inc. has appointed John Dunican as senior VP, national sales, new position. He has been with the company for 18 years.

Starbucks has named Jim Donald president and CEO, following yesterday's official retirement of Orin Smith.(People In The News)(Brief Article)
April 8, 2005... Starbucks has named Jim Donald president and CEO, following yesterday's official retirement of Orin Smith. Donald joined the company in 2002 as president, North America, and previously held executive positions at Pathmark and Wal-Mart.

Robert Ring has been named to the board of directors of Duckwall-ALCO Stores, Inc.(People In The News)(Brief Article)
April 8, 2005... Robert Ring has been named to the board of directors of Duckwall-ALCO Stores, Inc. He previously spent 32 years with The Coleman Co.

Ingles Markets has appointed Ronald Freeman as CFO, effective April 18.(People In The News)(Brief Article)
April 8, 2005... Ingles Markets has appointed Ronald Freeman as CFO, effective April 18. He succeeds Brenda Tudor, who resigned effective March 18. Freeman most recently served as CFO of Silver-Line Plastics Corp.

Wal-Mart vs. critics: let the PR games begin.(Public relations)(Brief Article)
April 8, 2005... Wal-Mart is fighting back in a public-relations battle against a coalition of critics who claim that the retailer is shirking its corporate responsibilities. Wal-Mart's detractors, which include environmentalists, community organizations, state...

A&P may sell farmer Jack stores, report says.(Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company Inc.)(Brief Article)
April 8, 2005... The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Co. (A&P) may be considering the sale of more than 30 Farmer Jack and Food Basics stores in metro Detroit, according published reports. Company officials recently told a group of store managers that select...

Safeway campaign to show off new look.(Brief Article)
April 8, 2005... A new and improved Safeway this week posted its biggest quarterly sales rebound in more than three years, thanks to better customer service and a focus on fresh foods. The grocer said it is launching a $100 million marketing campaign called...

This week's retail news nuggets.(Sears, Roebuck and Co.)(Amazon.com Inc.)(Lowe's Companies Inc.)(Brief Article)
April 8, 2005... Sears is planning a mass layoff of 250 employees at its Hoffman Estates, Ill., headquarters, according to a report filed with the state's Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.... Amazon.com has acquired inventory-free company...

New stores, new markets.
April 15, 2005... The newly renovated Galleria Dallas will be home to a new United Colors of Benetton, which will be the first in Dallas, and a Sisley store, which will be the first in the state. Women's apparel and accessory retailer Windsor will join these...

Ailing ShopKo to be sold to private-equity firm in $715 million deal.(ShopKo Stores Inc.)(Brief Article)
April 15, 2005... Green Bay, Wis.-based ShopKo Stores, Inc. has agreed to be sold to a private-equity firm in a deal valued at $715 million, excluding debt, according to published reports. An affiliate of Minneapolis-based firm Goldner Hawn Johnson & Morrison...

Wal-Mart's Coughlin may have bought spies.(Brief Article)
April 15, 2005... Wal-Mart Stores Inc.'s former vice chairman Thomas Coughlin may have used undocumented expense payments to pay for anti-union efforts, according to The Wall Street Journal. Last year, the now-ousted Coughlin reportedly asked a Wal-Mart employee...

Federated-May merger comes under review.
April 15, 2005... The massive scope of the proposed $11 billion merger between Federated Department Stores and May Department Stores has prompted the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to request more information on the deal. Additionally, the Securities and...

Arden Group, Inc.(Debra Jensen resigns)(Brief Article)
April 15, 2005... Debra Jensen, CFO of Arden Group, Inc., will resign from her post, effective June 2005. Arden is the parent company of Gelson's Markets, operator of 18 supermarkets in Southern California....

SuperValu.(Brian Huff will takeover as president)(Brief Article)
April 15, 2005... Brian Huff, VP of merchandising at Cub Foods, will succeed the retiring Gordy Farrington as president of the SuperValu corporate banner's West Region, effective June 30. He previously served as VP of merchandising at Sam's Club....

Abercrombie & Fitch.(Susan J. Riley resigns)(Brief Article)
April 15, 2005... Abercrombie & Fitch CFO Susan J. Riley has resigned from her post, effective today, for family reasons and to return to her home in New York City. President and COO Robert Singer will assume her duties while a replacement is sought....

Office Depot.(promotes Charles E. Brown, Monica Luechtefeld, Timothy Toews )(Brief Article)
April 15, 2005... Office Depot has made the following management changes: CFO Charles E. Brown was named president, international; Monica Luechtefeld was named executive VP of business development and IT; and Timothy Toews was promoted to senior VP and CIO,...

Victoria's Secret Beauty.(Sherry Baker resigns, Jill Granoff promoted)(Brief Article)
April 15, 2005... Sherry Baker, president of Victoria's Secret Beauty division, has left the company. Jill Granoff, who ran the division with Baker under a co-leadership model, has been named president and COO....

AutoZone.(promotes Brad Bacon)(Brief Article)
April 15, 2005... AutoZone promoted Brad Bacon from senior VP of store operations to executive VP of store operations and commercial....

Target.(Robert Ulrich gets bonus)(Brief Article)
April 15, 2005... Target CEO Robert Ulrich received a $5 million bonus last year, up from a $3.3 million bonus in 2003....

Safeway.(Steven Burd gets increased pay package)(Brief Article)
April 15, 2005... Safeway chairman Steven Burd received a pay package totaling $19.5 million last year, a 39% increase from 2003.

Supermarket strike brewing in Northeast.(Brief Article)
April 15, 2005... A four-year labor contract between the United Food and Commercial Workers Union and four New York-New Jersey grocers is set to expire at midnight this Saturday, leaving the possibility of a strike by 28,000 employees in New Jersey and New York....

Blockbuster at odds with largest investor.(Brief Article)
April 15, 2005... According to a regulatory filing, Blockbuster Inc.'s largest shareholder has accused the movie-rental giant of bungling its attempted takeover of top rival Hollywood Entertainment Corp. Financier Carl Icahn, Blockbuster's largest individual...

Sears increases HQ layoffs from 250 to 500.(Sears Holdings Corp.)(Brief Article)
April 15, 2005... Sears Holding Corp. said it plans a "mass layoff" of at least 500 workers at its headquarters in Hoffman Estates, Ill., according to a revised report filed with the state's Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. Last week, the company...

This week's retail news nuggets.
April 15, 2005... Select Comfort Corp. said it has agreed to close its leased departments at nine Bed Bath & Beyond stores. The bed retailer plans to phase out these departments in the second quarter of 2005.... The Estee Lauder Cos. Inc. has announced a...

New stores, new markets.(Barney's Inc., Neiman Marcus Co., Starbucks Corp.)(Brief Article)
April 22, 2005... Barneys New York will open a two-level, 46,000-sq.-ft. flagship store in Copley Place in Boston. Scheduled to open in spring 2006, it will be the first new Barneys New York flagship store in more than 11 years.... Canton Township in Canton,...

GameStop, Electronics Boutique will play together in $1.4b deal.(mergers)(Brief Article)
April 22, 2005... The retail industry's merger wave has washed over the video-game sector. GameStop Corp. and Electronics Boutique plan to merge into one 3,800- store chain in a deal valued at about $1.44 billion. Among retailers that specialize exclusively in...

Saks seeks to unload department stores.(Brief Article)
April 22, 2005... Birmingham, Ala.-based Saks, Inc. is reportedly looking to sell its mid-price department stores in two separate clusters. A sale of the stores may clear the way for a sale of the retailer's luxury Saks Fifth Avenue division, The Wall Street...

Wattles recharges Ultimate Electronics.(Mark Wattles)(Brief Article)
April 22, 2005... Ultimate Electronics will emerge from bankruptcy through a plan that will liquidate 30 stores and sell the remaining 32 to the chain's chairman and CEO Mark Wattles. Earlier this year, Wattles joined Las Vegas-based Ultimate Electronics as CEO...

ShopKo president and CEO Sam Duncan has resigned to take on a similar role at OfficeMax Inc.(PEOPLE IN THE NEWS)
April 22, 2005... ShopKo president and CEO Sam Duncan has resigned to take on a similar role at OfficeMax Inc. The resignation is effective immediately, and comes after ShopKo agreed last week to be acquired by a private-investment firm. Duncan previously served...

Gap.(PEOPLE IN THE NEWS)(Cynthia Harriss appointed)(Brief Article)
April 22, 2005... Gap has appointed Cynthia Harriss, current president of the 25-store Gap Outlet division, as president of its Gap brand, effective May 2. Harriss previously held senior positions at The Walt Disney Co.

Meijer.(PEOPLE IN THE NEWS)(Hank Meijer, Paul Boyer and Larry Zigerelli appointed)(Brief Article)
April 22, 2005... Meijer has made the following executive appointments: Hank Meijer, cochairman and CEO, is now cochairman and co-CEO; Paul Boyer, formerly president and COO, has been named vice chairman and co-CEO; and Larry Zigerelli, formerly executive VP,...

The Children's Place.(PEOPLE IN THE NEWS)(Seth Udasin of Children's Place Retail Stores Inc. resigns)(Brief Article)
April 22, 2005... The Children's Place CFO Seth Udasin has resigned to pursue other interests, and will be succeeded by Hiten Patel, who has been appointed senior VP and CFO, effective immediately.

Borders.(PEOPLE IN THE NEWS)(Vin Altruda, Rick Vanzura and Mike Spinozzi appointed)(Brief Article)
April 22, 2005... Borders, based in Ann Arbor, Mich., has appointed Vin Altruda, formerly president of worldwide Borders stores, as U.S. group president. Rick Vanzura has been named president of Borders Group International and Paper-chase worldwide, and Mike...

Yankee Candle.(PEOPLE IN THE NEWS)(Vijay Vishwanath appointed at Yankee Candle Company Inc.)(Brief Article)
April 22, 2005... Yankee Candle has appointed Vijay Vishwanath, of strategy consulting firm Bain & Co., to its board of directors. He fills the vacancy left by Jamie C. Nicholl's recent resignation from the board.

NRF revises 2005 sales growth forecast to 4.8%.(National Retail Federation)(Brief Article)
April 22, 2005... The National Retail Federation (NRF) revised its 2005 sales forecast, predicting that industry sales will rise 4.8%, compared to last year's 7% increase. The NRF previously had predicted 3.5% growth. The revision is not based on changing...

Deal gives Brookstone a Singapore flavor.(OSIM International acquires Brookstone Company Inc.)(Brief Article)
April 22, 2005... Brookstone has agreed to be acquired by a group of investors comprised of two Singapore companies and a domestic private-equity firm, in a deal worth about $440 million. The investors also will assume Brookstone's $8 million in debt. The...

Golfsmith stores swing into tennis market.(Golfsmith International Inc.)(Brief Article)
April 22, 2005... There are 24 million tennis players in the United States, and Golfsmith believes it knows a lot of them. The 47-store, Austin, Texas-based multichannel golf retailer plans to add tennis centers in up to 60% of its stores this summer. The...

This week's retail news nuggets.(Brief Article)
April 22, 2005... Milwaukee-based Roundy's has signed an agreement to purchase seven Pick 'n Save stores in the Madison, Wis., market. The sales will boost the number of Roundy's corporate stores from 125 to 132.... Sears, Roebuck and Co. has entered into an...

Newstores, new markets.(Gap)(Brief Article)
April 29, 2005... Gap has reopened seven redesigned stores in Colorado that have been closed since January. Changes include new layout, fixtures, floors and lighting, and the addition of a denim bar, lounge areas and style consultants.... Maurices, a wholly...

Wal-Mart comes under fire from Congressmen, 'whistleblower' VP.(Brief Article)
April 29, 2005... The army of Wal-Mart's foes now includes five members of the House of Representatives among its ranks. At a protest on Washington's Capitol Hill this week, anti-Wal-Mart group WakeUpWalmart.com was joined by five members of the House of...

Forth & Towne: the Gap is out of the bag.(Brief Article)
April 29, 2005... The secret is out: Gap, Inc.'s new store concept is called Forth & Towne. The concept will launch this fall with four stores in the Chicago area and one in New York, company officials said at their annual investors' meeting. Forth & Towne,...

J.C. Penney details five-year growth plan.(Brief Article)
April 29, 2005... Five months after taking the helm, J.C. Penney CEO Myron Ullman has announced plans to open 19 new stores and launch a $200 million renovation of 50 existing stores. Ullman said a total of $2.4 billion will be spent to remodel the retailer's...

Joseph Colalillo will succeed the retiring Thomas P. Infusino as Wakefern Food Corp.'s chairman and CEO, effective May 19.(PEOPLE IN THE NEWS)
April 29, 2005... Joseph Colalillo will succeed the retiring Thomas P. Infusino as Wakefern Food Corp.'s chairman and CEO, effective May 19. Colalillo, Wakefern's vice chairman for six years, also owns three ShopRite stores in Hunterdon County, N.J., and is...

Family Dollar has named Kiley F. Rawlins to the newly created position of divisional VP, communications.(PEOPLE IN THE NEWS)
April 29, 2005... Family Dollar has named Kiley F. Rawlins to the newly created position of divisional VP, communications. Rawlins started her financial career with Dollar General Corp., and her most recent position was with Mercury Investment Group.

The nation's third-largest jewelry retailer, Friedman's Inc., has named Pamela Romano president and COO.(PEOPLE IN THE NEWS)(appointed Pamela Romano as president and Chief operation officer)(Brief Article)
April 29, 2005... The nation's third-largest jewelry retailer, Friedman's Inc., has named Pamela Romano president and COO. Romano, most recently group senior VP of Zale Corp., will oversee the day-to-day store, marketing and merchandising operations of the...

Walmart.com has hired Ashwin Rangan as CIO.(PEOPLE IN THE NEWS)(appointed Ashwin Rangan as Chief information officer)(Brief Article)
April 29, 2005... Walmart.com has hired Ashwin Rangan as CIO. Most recently, Rangan served as senior VP and CIO for Conexant Systems.

D'Agostino Supermarkets Inc.(PEOPLE IN THE NEWS)(appointed nicholas D'Agostino III as president and Chief Operational Officer)(Brief Article)
April 29, 2005... D'Agostino Supermarkets Inc. has promoted Nicholas D'Agostino III to president and COO, from his post as VP, corporate administration. Anderson Chung has been appointed to the new position of marketing director.

Sue King has been named senior VP for Albertson's California food division, effective May 23.(PEOPLE IN THE NEWS)(appointed Sue King as senior vice president)(Brief Article)
April 29, 2005... Sue King has been named senior VP for Albertson's California food division, effective May 23. She previously held positions at Catalina Marketing Corp., Lucky and Vons.

Design Within Reach.(PEOPLE IN THE NEWS)(appointed Ken La Honta as Chief Financial Officer)(Brief Article)
April 29, 2005... Furniture retailer Design Within Reach has named Ken La Honta as its new CFO. He replaces David Barnard, who resigned earlier this year.

Best Buy plans more stores in U.S. and China.(Brief Article)
April 29, 2005... Best Buy raised its target for North American store count by 20% and revealed plans to expand its Geek Squad computer-repair service as part of its long-term growth strategy. The consumer-electronics retailer now plans to operate at least 1,200...

Ahold to sell tops markets' c-store unit.(Brief Article)
April 29, 2005... Ahold is getting out of the U.S. c-store business with the planned sale of its 198-location Tops Markets LLC chain to WFI Acquisition Inc. WFI is a partnership between Nanco Enterprises Inc. and Bruckmann, Rosser, Sherrill & Co., Inc. The...

This week's retail news nuggets.(Brief Article)
April 29, 2005... Walmart.com has launched an on-line custom CD service. Visitors to the Web site can create and buy their own CD music compilations, at a cost of $4.62 for the first three songs and 88 cents per additional song.... Sumitomo Corp. has agreed to...