Chain Store Age Executive Fax articles from May 2005

Chain Store Age Executive Fax archives from May 2005

New stores, new markets.(Brief Article)
May 13, 2005... A new 31,000-sq.-ft. Brookshire's store is being built in Seven Points, Texas. It will have a front-end drive-through convenience store, making it the second such Brookshire's to be opened.... The recently expanded Airmall at the...

Spring cleaning at Saks: three top executives ousted after inquiry.(Brief Article)
May 13, 2005... Saks, Inc. ousted three top executives, including its chief accounting officer, after an internal investigation into improper collections of markdown allowances found that $20 million was inappropriately taken from vendors from 1999 to 2003....

Icahn overthrows Blockbuster's Antioco.(appointed Carl Icahn as chairman )(Brief Article)
May 13, 2005... Carl Icahn, the billionaire investor who has been scheming for weeks to unseat Blockbuster's chairman of the board John Antioco, has apparently gotten his way. Icahn and his two dissident nominees have been voted onto the board of Blockbuster,...

Carter's makes playdate with Oshkosh.(Brief Article)
May 13, 2005... Children's retailer Carter's Inc. will acquire its rival OshKosh B'Gosh for $312 million, merging two brands into one company that will generate more than $1.3 billion in annual sales. Atlanta-based Carter's, which operates 181 retail stores...

Bachrach Clothing, Inc.(PEOPLE IN THE NEWS)(appointed Sheila Arnold as president and chief executive officer )(Brief Article)
May 13, 2005... Sheila Arnold has been named president and CEO of specialty men's wear retailer Bachrach Clothing, Inc. She replaces Ed Bachrach, who recently sold the company to an affiliate of Sun Capital Partners, Inc. Arnold's most recent role was as...

H.E. Butt Grocery Co.(PEOPLE IN THE NEWS)(appointed Craig Boyan as chief strategic officer)(Brief Article)
May 13, 2005... H.E. Butt Grocery Co. has hired Craig Boyan, a consultant who has worked with the chain for the past year-and-a-half, as its chief strategic officer. Boyan most recently served as manager of the New York office for Boston-based international...

Nash Finch Co.(PEOPLE IN THE NEWS)(appointments)(Brief Article)
May 13, 2005... Nash Finch Co.'s shareholders named two new directors: Douglas Hacker and Mickey Foret. Foret is president of Aviation Consultants and a former CFO of Northwest Airlines. Hacker is executive VP, strategy for UAL Corp. Carole Bitter, John...

Albertson.(PEOPLE IN THE NEWS)(appointments and promotions)(Brief Article)
May 13, 2005... Albertson's has shuffled its executive lineup: chief technology officer Bob Dunst now has supply chain responsibility, as Clarence Gabriel, head of supply chain and asset management, leaves. Chief marketing officer, Paul Gannon, will have added...

Circuit City Direct.(PEOPLE IN THE NEWS)(appointed Fiona P. Dias as senior vice president)(Brief Article)
May 13, 2005... Fiona P. Dias has been named senior VP, chief marketing officer, and retains her title of president, Circuit City Direct. She joined Circuit City in 2000 as senior VP, marketing....

Movie Gallery.(PEOPLE IN THE NEWS)(appointed Lawrence Plotnick as Chief operating officers)(Brief Article)
May 13, 2005... Movie Gallery named Lawrence Plotnick as COO.

Sears mulls sale of Orchard Supply.(Brief Article)
May 13, 2005... Sears Holding Corp. may sell or spin off its San Jose, Calif.-based Orchard Supply Hardware unit, which operates a chain of 82 hardware and garden retail stores in California. "Sears Holdings is focusing its management attention and capital on...

A&P to trim operations, pay down debt.(Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Co)(Brief Article)
May 13, 2005... The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Co. (A&P) board has authorized a major restructuring under which it will focus on growth on its core operations in the corridor between Washington, D.C., and Connecticut. It has hired JPMorgan Chase & Co. to...

Buehler Foods files for bankruptcy.
May 13, 2005... Buehler Foods Inc. has filed for bankruptcy protection at the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Evansville, Ind. The company has been hit with revenue losses of more than $7 million due to unexpected delays in assuming control of 16 Winn-Dixie grocery...

This week's retail news nuggets.(Five Below )(Brief Article)
May 13, 2005... Dollar General plans to build a 1.1 million-sq.-ft. distribution center in Marion, Ind., marking the retailer's ninth distribution facility.... Teen and pre-teen discounter Five Below has closed on a $20 million equity commitment from LLR...

Wal-Mart ejects DVD rentals in cross-marketing Netflix deal.
May 20, 2005... Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is getting out of the DVD-rental business. The chain will direct customers to Netflix in a deal widely viewed as a boon to Los Gatos, Calif.-based Netflix, and a sign that the world's largest retailer was out of its...

J.C. Penney may be moving in on Carson's.(Brief Article)
May 20, 2005... As the shakeup of the Saks empire continues, Plano, Texas-based J.C. Penney has emerged as a possible buyer for Saks' Carson Pirie Scott department store chain, according to a report this week in the Chicago Sun-Times. Saks is selling Carson's,...

Sears pulls the plug on outsourcing deal.
May 20, 2005... Less than a year into a groundbreaking IT agreement, Sears Holdings has ended its massive outsourcing contract with Computer Sciences Corp. (CSC). The $1.6 billion contract to manage Sears' computer and phone networks and Web sites has...

New stores, new markets.(Brief Article)
May 20, 2005... Fashion designer Sigrid Olsen has opened her first South Carolina store on King Street in Charleston.... Saks, Inc. will renovate and expand its 41,500-sq.-ft. Herberger's department store in the Rimrock Mall in Billings, Mont.... Nintendo has...

Reinvention: chains go with new formats.(Brief Article)
May 20, 2005... Increasing competition from big-box retailer supercenters, along with a desire to tap into niche markets, has spurred many retailers to diversify their store formats. Meijer has opened its first redesigned supercenter location in metro Detroit....

KB Toys looks to emerge from chapter 11.(Brief Article)
May 20, 2005... Privately held KB Toys hopes to get out of bankruptcy before the holiday shopping season. An affiliate of Prentice Capital Management will invest $20 million in cash and offer $25 million credit to take over the chain under a reorganization...

This week's retail news nuggets.(Brief Article)
May 20, 2005... The Home Depot plans to close 15 EXPO Design Center stores "at some point in the future." Additionally, the company will convert five EXPO stores to The Home Depot format.... Target Corp. executives today said the company expects to add more...

Saks, Inc.(PEOPLE IN THE NEWS)(promoted Kevin Wills to executive VP, finance and chief accounting officer)(Brief Article)
May 20, 2005... Saks, Inc. has promoted Kevin Wills to executive VP, finance and chief accounting officer. Wills joined the company in 1997, and had held various financial and operational roles of increasing responsibility.

American Eagle Outfitters.(PEOPLE IN THE NEWS)(appointed Roger Markfield as an advisor)(Brief Article)
May 20, 2005... American Eagle Outfitters signed on Roger Markfield as an advisor to the company through 2012. He will continue to serve as president of the retailer through 2005, and vice chairman of the board through 2006. Additionally, chief merchandising...

Kirkland's, Inc. has hired Jack E. Lewis as president and CEO.(PEOPLE IN THE NEWS)(appointed Jack E. Lewis as president and Chief Executive Officers)(Brief Article)
May 20, 2005... Kirkland's, Inc. has hired Jack E. Lewis as president and CEO. Lewis was most recently chairman and CEO of Garden Ridge Corp., and he also served in various executive capacities with Sears, Roebuck and Co.

Pharmaca Integrative Pharmacy, Inc. has named Ron Brill to the company's board.(PEOPLE IN THE NEWS)(appointed Ron Brill as board of director)(Brief Article)
May 20, 2005... Pharmaca Integrative Pharmacy, Inc. has named Ron Brill to the company's board. Brill formerly served with The Home Depot, Inc. as chief administrative officer and a member of the board.

Marks & Spencer.(PEOPLE IN THE NEWS)(appointed Terry Burns as chairman)(Brief Article)
May 20, 2005... British clothing retailer Marks & Spencer has appointed Terry Burns to succeed Paul Myners as chairman, ending months of boardroom squabble.

Garden Ridge has named Mary McNabb as CEO.(PEOPLE IN THE NEWS)(appointed Mary McNabb Chief executive officers)(Brief Article)
May 20, 2005... Garden Ridge has named Mary McNabb as CEO. She most recently served as executive VP, merchandising and marketing, at offprice retailer Factory-2-U Stores, and she is also on the board of Fred's Stores.

Big Lots Inc.(PEOPLE IN THE NEWS)(promoted William Kelley to board of directors)(Brief Article)
May 20, 2005... Former Big Lots Inc. CEO, William Kelley, is vying for a seat on the company's board of directors. The retailer also is looking to replace CEO Michael Potter, who announced his resignation in January.

New stores, new markets.(Brief Article)
May 27, 2005... RadioShack has opened a new-concept store called StoreOne in Fort Worth, Texas, that is four-to-five times larger than its regular locations. The 10,000-sq.-ft. prototype, which is next to the company headquarters, is modeled after the ultimate...

On-line sales up; retailers cast positive eye toward 2005.(Brief Article)
May 27, 2005... With a year of strong sales behind them, U.S. on-line retailers are expecting sales to soar in the coming year. The retailers anticipate total on-line sales to rise 22% to $172.4 billion in 2005, with the biggest gains likely coming from...

California grocers face antitrust lawsuit.(Brief Article)
May 27, 2005... California's three biggest grocery chains are not out of the woods just yet. A federal judge in the state has ruled that Attorney General Bill Lockyer may continue with an antitrust lawsuit against Albertson's Inc., Kroger Co. and Safeway....

Governor vetoes Wal-Mart health-care bill.(Brief Article)
May 27, 2005... Maryland Governor Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. has vetoed the Fair Share Health Care bill, also known as the "Wal-Mart Bill," which would have made Wal-Mart spend more on employee health-care benefits in the state. Ehrlich, a Republican, said the...

Federated Department Stores Inc. has promoted senior VP and CFO Karen M. Hoguet to executive VP, effective June 1.(PEOPLE IN THE NEWS)
May 27, 2005... Federated Department Stores, Inc. has promoted senior VP and CFO Karen M. Hoguet to executive VP, effective June 1. The promotion reflects her role in the pending acquisition of May Department Stores Co. Hoguet has been with Federated, parent...

RadioShack Corp.(PEOPLE IN THE NEWS)(appointed David Edmondson as chief executive officers)(Brief Article)
May 27, 2005... David Edmondson has taken over as CEO of RadioShack Corp. He replaces Leonard Roberts, who became the company's new executive chairman.

Levitz Home Furnishings has appointed Ward Dingmann as senior VP of logistics and distribution.(PEOPLE IN THE NEWS)(Brief Article)
May 27, 2005... Levitz Home Furnishings has appointed Ward Dingmann as senior VP of logistics and distribution. He was previously COO of third-party logistics provider AtomicBox Logistics.

PETsMART, Inc. has tapped the former H.E. Butt Grocery Co. senior VP and CIO, Donald E. Beaver, to hold the same positions at the pet-supplies retailer.(PEOPLE IN THE NEWS)(Brief Article)
May 27, 2005... PETsMART, Inc. has tapped the former H.E. Butt Grocery Co. senior VP and CIO, Donald E. Beaver, to hold the same positions at the pet-supplies retailer. He replaces David King, who resigned earlier this year. Beaver joined HEB in 1999, and...

Bi-Lo/Bruno's has named Ken Jones as senior VP of finance and treasury.(PEOPLE IN THE NEWS)(Brief Article)
May 27, 2005... Bi-Lo/Bruno's has named Ken Jones as senior VP of finance and treasury. Jones previously served as VP and treasurer of Denny's Corp.

Ahold.(PEOPLE IN THE NEWS)(Brief Article)
May 27, 2005... Ahold has announced that its CFO, Hannu Ryopponen, is leaving the company, effective Sept. 1. The company said that it would start the search for a replacement immediately.

Online lingerie retailer Figleaves has named Robin Terrell, Amazon.com.uk's managing director.(PEOPLE IN THE NEWS)(Brief Article)
May 27, 2005... Online lingerie retailer Figleaves has named Robin Terrell, Amazon.com.uk's managing director, as executive VP of operations in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Chains acquire taste for consolidation.(Brief Article)
May 27, 2005... The M&A trend has left few sectors in the retail world untouched. Electronics Boutique Holdings Corp. will acquire Spanish computer and electronics retailer Jump Ordenadores for an undisclosed amount. Electronics Boutique said that buying the...

Ralph Lauren reunites with footwear line.(Brief Article)
May 27, 2005... Reebok International Ltd. will sell Ralph Lauren Footwear Co. to Polo Ralph Lauren Corp. for $110 million. The deal comes as Reebok moves to focus on its core athletic-shoe business and Polo aims to grow its luxury-accessories business. The...

Card technology makes a swipe-free Sheetz.(Brief Article)
May 27, 2005... Altoona, Pa.-based Sheetz Inc. implemented radio-frequency technology in its checkout systems so that customers can make payments by waving their credit cards instead of swiping them. The program, which includes a loyalty component with the...

This week's retail news nuggets.(Brief Article)
May 27, 2005... May Department Stores Co. and Federated Department Stores Inc. both have scheduled shareholder meetings on July 13, at which they will seek endorsement of their planned $11 billion merger.... Levitz Home Furnishings has closed its previously...