Chain Store Age Executive Fax articles from February 2004

Chain Store Age Executive Fax archives from February 2004

New stores, new markets.(Brief Article)
February 27, 2004... Bass Pro Shops signed on as an anchor tenant at River Falls Mall in Clarksville, Ind. The store will open in fall 2005.... Cost Plus World Market began building a store at Pine Ridge Plaza in Lawrence, Kan., its first store in the state....

The new face of retailing: 'edited' selections as the norm?(Brief Article)
February 27, 2004... The face of retail is changing aggressively at the hands of marketers and retailers themselves. What does it all mean? According to Jim Lucas, director of strategic planning and research at Chicago-based Draft, a global marketing...

Great Scott: Bebe sued over CEO hiring.(Bebe Stores Inc.)(Greg Scott)(Brief Article)
February 27, 2004... The latest battle in the young women's apparel market isn't taking place in the merchandise trenches. It's being fought over the hiring of Greg Scott, the former president of Arden B., who left the Wet Seal division last month to join bebe as...

Consumer confidence dips in February.(Brief Article)
February 27, 2004... Consumers remain disheartened with current economic conditions, according to the latest report from the Conference Board. The research firm said its consumer confidence index declined to 87.3 in February, lower than the previous forecast of...

Staples, Inc.(People In The News)(Brief Article)
February 27, 2004... Staples, Inc. promoted Scott Floeck to CIO. He replaces Paul Gaffney, who was appointed executive VP of supply chain, a new position. Floeck most recently served as senior VP of retail and corporate information systems development....

Movie Gallery has named Thomas Johnson senior VP of investor relations, effective April 1.(People In The News)(Brief Article)
February 27, 2004... Movie Gallery has named Thomas Johnson senior VP of investor relations, effective April 1. He has held a similar position at Russell Corp. since 2002....

Borders Group.(People In The News)(Brief Article)
February 27, 2004... Borders Group appointed Vincent Altruda, president of international stores, to the new position of president of Border Stores worldwide. He assumed responsibility for the chain's domestic stores after Tamara Heim, president of Borders'...

Abercrombie & Fitch.(People In The News)(Brief Article)
February 27, 2004... Susan Riley was named senior VP and CFO of Abercrombie & Fitch.

Handy Andy will close four stores.(Brief Article)
February 27, 2004... Supermarket chain Handy Andy will reportedly close four of its stores in San Antonio in the coming weeks, according to a report in the San Antonio Express-News. The grocer, which operates 16 stores in Bexar and the surrounding counties, faces...

Eckerd as good as gone for Penney.(Eckerd Drug Co.)(J.C. Penney Company Inc.)(Brief Article)
February 27, 2004... J.C. Penney classified its Eckerd drug store chain as a "discontinued operations" in its fiscal 2003 filing. The retailer assumed two charges totaling nearly $1.4 billion to reflect its investment in Eckerd, which is expected to be sold in...

Tips for reaching the Hispanic market.(Brief Article)
February 27, 2004... Connecting with Hispanic shoppers demands more from retailers than just saying "Hola" or "Muchos Gracias" or increasing Spanish language advertising, according to Luis Garcia, founder and managing director of San Antonio-based ethnic...

Recall on Kmart vendor payments?(Brief Article)
February 27, 2004... Kmart may have to return to the bankruptcy courts, but not due to a need to reorganize its operations. A new ruling this week by a federal appeals court decided that Bankruptcy Judge Susan Pierson Sonderby should not have approved Kmart's...

Meijer plans more store remodelings.(Brief Article)
February 27, 2004... An expanded deli section with gourmet food to go and a new electronics area called E4 are just some of the changes Meijer will be making to its stores. The retailer is adding everything from $120 bottles of wine to roughly 200 varieties of...

This week's retail news nuggets.(Brief Article)
February 27, 2004... Publix Super Markets will double the number of store locations in Florida that serve liquor. The grocer will sell liquor and wine in Orlando and Auburndale by the end of the summer, according to the Tampa Tribune. It is taking over three Kash...

New stores, new markets.(Brief Article)
February 20, 2004... A former Ames location in New Carrollton, Md., is being taken over by National Wholesale Liquidators.... Talbots, Victoria's Secret and J. Crew will open this fall in Seattle at University Village.... The Vitamin Shoppe has leased space in...

Royalty dispute behind Kmart's lawsuit filing against Stewart.(Brief Article)
February 20, 2004... Relations between vendors and retailers can be tranquil, or they can be tempestuous. One example of the latter is now taking place between Kmart and Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia (MSLO), which accused the retailer this week of attempting to...

Sportswear sales grow just 1% in 2003.(Brief Article)
February 20, 2004... After a weak showing in the first half of the year, sportswear sales took off during the back-to-school and holiday seasons, accounting for a 1% increase in sales in 2003 over the prior year. All told, sportswear sales reached $67 billion...

More Sears Hardwares gain appliances.(Sears, Roebuck and Co.)(Brief Article)
February 20, 2004... Looking to capitalize on the strength of its appliance brands, Sears will soon begin selling home appliances within 35 Sears Hardware stores. It also plans to add appliances to most of its 103 remaining hardware stores by yearend. The latest...

Petco.(People In The News)(Brief Article)
February 20, 2004... Petco promoted James Myers, its CFO, to the position of CEO, effective next month. He will replace Brian Devine, who will remain executive chairman. Also, Petco gave its COO Bruce Hall the added title of president....

Saks Fifth Avenue.(People In The News)(Brief Article)
February 20, 2004... Saks Fifth Avenue named Terron Schaefer, a former executive with Simon Property Group, senior VP of marketing....

Ross Stores, Inc.(People In The News)(Brief Article)
February 20, 2004... Ross Stores, Inc. appointed Fred Shuey VP of stores for its new dd's Discounts format, which plans to open 10 stores during the second half of the year. He comes from Linens 'n Things....

Weis Markets.(People In The News)(Brief Article)
February 20, 2004... Weis Markets has elected Jonathan Weis as vice chairman....

bebe stores.(People In The News)(Brief Article)
February 20, 2004... Greg Scott has returned to bebe stores as CEO, after serving as president of Wet Seal....

Smart & Final Inc.(People In The News)(Brief Article)
February 20, 2004... Smart & Final Inc. elected Jean-Brice Hernu, a 58.8% shareholder in the grocer, to its board of directors. Hernu is deputy managing director of Casino Guichard-Perrachon.

Jury says Wal-Mart owes 83 workers.(People In The News)(Brief Article)
February 20, 2004... In what was described by lawyers as a mixed verdict, a federal jury ruled this week that Wal-Mart should pay 83 workers for work conducted while they were off the clock. The same jury rejected the claims of 25 other workers. What the...

Two labor deals signed, but not Calif.(Brief Article)
February 20, 2004... Just hours before union workers threatened a walkout at Stop & Shop stores in three states, negotiators reached a contract agreement affecting some 41,000 workers. The United Food and Commercial Workers union's five local chapters and the...

Week of Feb. 14: days of sales and roses.(Brief Article)
February 20, 2004... Cupid did more than pair lovers across the country. The cherub also brought about increased spending during Valentine's Day weekend. According to the International Council of Shopping Centers-UBS weekly tally, sales were up 1.4% in the week...

E-retail satisfaction reigns supreme.(Brief Article)
February 20, 2004... E-commerce satisfaction runs higher than traditional retail satisfaction by a score of 84-75. The e-retail field improved by one point over last year's score of 83, according to the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI), published with...

This week's retail news nuggets.(Brief Article)
February 20, 2004... Wal-Mart is believed to be the front-runner to acquire the Brazilian assets of Dutch grocer Royal Ahold. The deal would include Ahold's Bompreco division, the third-largest grocer in Brazil.... Hat World, Inc. signed a license agreement with...

New stores, new markets.(Brief Article)
February 13, 2004... Tuesday Morning Corp. and Marshalls have opened at Williamsburg (Va.) Shopping Center.... Weis Markets is looking to replace its store in Bellefonte, Pa.... Modell's Sporting Goods is looking to open stores in Stamford, Norwalk and Danbury,...

Back to the bargaining table: Calif. dispute hits 4-month mark.(Brief Article)
February 13, 2004... The federal mediator saw reason for optimism in the four-month-old labor-management standoff. As a result, grocery chains in Southern California and the United Food and Commercial Workers union are back at the bargaining table this week....

J.C. Penney Co. juggles bids for Eckerd.(Brief Article)
February 13, 2004... Everything has a price. And J.C. Penney Co. CEO Alan Questrom has a better idea of exactly what that price might be for any future sale of its Eckerd drug store division. Rite Aid Corp. is reportedly offering some $4 billion in cash for the...

Retail's new normal: cautious shoppers.(Brief Article)
February 13, 2004... A "new normal" has settled over the retail landscape, according to a report from WSL Strategic Retail, based in New York City. Simply put, consumers have developed a cautious attitude toward shopping. Nearly 60% of consumers ask themselves,...

Saks Inc.(People In The News)(Brief Article)
February 13, 2004... Saks Inc. hired Andrew Jennings as president and chief merchandising officer. Saks also named Fred Wilson, Saks Fifth Avenue Enterprises CEO, to the additional post of chairman....

Clarence Reynolds, chairman of Lord & Taylor, and Kenneth Wilkerson, chairman of Hecht's/Strawbridge's, will retire from May Department Stores Co., effective June 1.(People In The News)(Brief Article)
February 13, 2004... Clarence Reynolds, chairman of Lord & Taylor, and Kenneth Wilkerson, chairman of Hecht's/ Strawbridge's, will retire from May Department Stores Co., effective June 1. The executives will be replaced by Richard Clausing at Lord & Taylor and...

Harold's Stores.(People In The News)(Brief Article)
February 13, 2004... Harold's Stores hired Hugh Mullins as CEO. Mullins formerly served as chairman and CEO of Neiman Marcus....

Charming Shoppes.(People In The News)(Brief Article)
February 13, 2004... Charming Shoppes appointed Michael Bourlon as executive VP of sourcing. Bourlon most recently served as managing director of Eddie Bauer International....

J. Jill Group.(People In The News)(Brief Article)
February 13, 2004... J. Jill Group named Jonathan Johnson VP of visual merchandising for its retail stores. He worked previously at Disney's retail division.

Sales snapshot: a picture of growth.(Brief Article)
February 13, 2004... The latest Weekly Chain Store Sales Snapshot shows a 5.9% increase in the week ending Feb. 7, and a 1.8% gain on a week-to-week basis. The tally from the International Council of Shopping Centers-UBS included the observation that sales in the...

Genesco expands from head to toe.(Brief Article)
February 13, 2004... Genesco knows footwear. Hat World Corp. knows headwear. Together, the two companies will make a formidable presence in the teen and young-adult market. Genesco is spending $165 million to acquire Indianapolis-based Hat World Corp., which...

Now playing at Blockbuster: spin-off.(Brief Article)
February 13, 2004... The video-rental business has changed to the point where media conglomerate Viacom no longer wants a part of it. Viacom will spin off its Blockbuster division to shareholders in a share swap, after trying and failing to find a buyer for the...

Will Footstar walk into Chapter 11?(Footstar Inc. )(Brief Article)
February 13, 2004... In the process of restating earnings for a five-year span ending in 2002, Footstar Inc. suggested that bankruptcy might be in the cards if it cannot boost its liquidity. Selling assets is a possibility, as well as negotiating with lenders....

This week's retail news nuggets.(Brief Article)
February 13, 2004... Royal Ahold plans to sell BI-LO and Bruno's, two Southeastern U.S. supermarket chains.... Tower Records parent MTS Inc. filed for bankruptcy. The company expects to complete the reorganization in 45 to 60 days.... Wal-Mart Stores' Sam's Club...

New stores, new markets.(Brief Article)
February 6, 2004... DSW Shoe Warehouse opens later this month in a former Cub Foods site in Columbus, Ohio.... GameStop opened at Franklin Farm Village Center in Herndon, Va., its second store in Fairfax County.... Stop & Shop will open at South Bay Shopping...

Strong end to the fiscal year, great start for calendar year.
February 6, 2004... Regardless if one views it as the end of the fiscal year or the start of a new calendar year, same-store sales results for the month of January beat analysts' expectations. Sales rose 5.8% in January, traditionally viewed as the least...

Borders.(People In The News)(Brief Article)
February 6, 2004... Ann Taylor elected Borders president Tamara Heim to its board of directors....

Marc Smith was named CEO and president of the combined Stop & Shop/Giant-Landover division of Ahold USA.(People In The News)(Brief Article)
February 6, 2004... Marc Smith was named CEO and president of the combined Stop & Shop/Giant-Landover division of Ahold USA. He most recently served as CEO and president of Stop & Shop. Dick Baird, CEO and president of Giant-Landover, will retire from his...

Cato.(People In The News)(Brief Article)
February 6, 2004... John Derham Cato, CEO, president and vice chairman of Cato, was elected chairman. He replaces Wayland Cato, who has retired....

Movie Gallery.(People In The News)(Brief Article)
February 6, 2004... J. Steven Roy, executive VP and CFO of Movie Gallery, plans to resign in March to pursue private-business interests....

Snyder's Drug Stores, Inc.(People In The News)(Brief Article)
February 6, 2004... Snyder's Drug Stores, Inc. named Dave Schwartz president of its name-brand division. He most recently served as president of Phar-Mor, which was closed in 2002 after two bankruptcy filings....

bebe sport.(People In The News)(Brief Article)
February 6, 2004... Barbara Wambach was named president and COO of bebe sport, effective Feb. 16.

Achtung! GAP sells its German stores.(Brief Article)
February 6, 2004... Swedish apparel powerhouse Hennes & Mauritz (H&M) is spending an undisclosed sum to acquire Gap's 10 stores in Germany. The stores are the smallest part of Gap's international business and account for less than 1% of overall company sales....

More holiday multichannel shoppers.(Brief Article)
February 6, 2004... More and more people combined clicks with bricks this past holiday season. The number of multichannel shoppers grew by nine percentage points to 65%, from 56%, during the recent holiday period, according to DoubleClick's third annual...

Bankruptcy filings continue in 2004.(Brief Article)
February 6, 2004... Three more retailers went to the courts this week looking for financial assistance. Gadzooks was the first to file for Chapter 11, citing that it would close roughly 150 of its 400 stores. The chain listed debts of more than $42.5 million and...

Las Vegas judge weighs in for Wal-Mart.(Brief Article)
February 6, 2004... Wal-Mart Stores welcomed the news this week that a Nevada judge dismissed all charges relating to a case of unfair labor practices dating back to February 2003. The complaint, filed by the United Food and Commercial Workers union, contained...

This week's retail news nuggets.(Innovative Mattress Solutions)(Mattress Warehouse )(Brief Article)
February 6, 2004... Gateway is acquiring eMachines for more than $230 million in cash and stock. Wayne Inouye, CEO of eMachines, will assume control of Gateway.... Blockbuster will close down its 24 stores in Hong Kong over the next 18 months. Meanwhile, parent...