Chain Store Age Executive Fax articles from September 2002

Chain Store Age Executive Fax archives from September 2002

Gap taps magic kingdom for CEO, aims for fairy-tale turnaround.(Gap Inc. hires executive from Walt Disney Co.)(Brief Article)
September 27, 2002... Paul Pressler has gone from working for one Mickey to replacing another. The former chairman of the global theme parks and resorts unit of The Walt Disney Co. has jumped ship to become the new president and CEO of Gap Inc. Pressler will...

Home Depot hits the floor business.(buys three firms)(Brief Article)
September 27, 2002... One month after recording a 26.6% second-quarter increase in sales from its installation and home-maintenance programs. The Home Depot is buying three companies that specialize in the flooring material and services industry. Home Depot...

Wholesale commitment at Fleming.(Fleming decides to abandon retail efforts)(Brief Article)
September 27, 2002... Should a wholesaler operate stores that compete with its retail customers? It's a question studied carefully by Fleming in recent weeks. The answer: No--at least not in Fleming's case. The company is getting out of the retail business to...

Sears. (New Stores, New Markets).(reopens two Pittsburgh-area stores)(Brief Article)
September 27, 2002... Sears will reopen its stores at Westmoreland Mall and Penn Center in the Pittsburgh area this weekend.

On Oct. 2, Cato will open stores. (New Stores, New Markets).(Brief Article)
September 27, 2002... On Oct. 2, Cato will open stores at Somerset (Ky.) Marketplace; Oliver Creek Corssing in Montgomery, Ala.; Windmiller Square in Pickerington, Ohio; Central Mall in Salina, Kan.; and Hays (Kan.) Plaza. The women's apparel chain will also open...

Ethan Allen. (New Stores, New Markets).(adds store)(Brief Article)
September 27, 2002... Ethan Allen opened this week in Laguna Niguel, Calif.

Kirkland's and Tradehome. (New Stores, New Markets).(open stores in Michigan)(Brief Article)
September 27, 2002... Home furnishings chain Kirkland's and Tradehome Shoes recently cut the ribbon on their respective stores at The Lakes Mall in Muskegon, Mich.

Best Buy. (New Stores, New Markets).(to add store in Lawrence, Kansas)(Brief Article)
September 27, 2002... Best Buy will open a store in fall 2003 in Lawrence, Kan., near a Home Depot.

99 Cents Only Stores. (New Stores, New Markets).(adds store in Las Vegas)(Brief Article)
September 27, 2002... 99 Cents Only Stores added a store in Las Vegas on East Charleston Blvd. Elsewhere in the Las Vegas area, Borders will open a store in the planned community of Summerlin on Oct. 11.

Pacific Sunwear. (New Stores, New Markets).(new store in Wisconsin)(Brief Article)
September 27, 2002... Pacific Sunwear will soon open at Janesville (Wis.) Mall. The chain will first open in a temporary location at the mall's south entrance and will then relocate to its permanent spot by yearend.

Dollar General subleased space from Eckerd. (New Stores, New Markets).(Brief Article)
September 27, 2002... Dollar General subleased space from Eckerd in Bunkie, La.; Miami; Wilkinsburg, Pa.; and Cherry Hill, N.J.

Kroger elected Richard Davidson to its board of directors. (People in the News).(Brief Article)
September 27, 2002... Kroger elected Richard Davidson to its board of directors. Since 1997, Davidson has been chairman and chief executive officer of Union Pacific Corp.

Bozzuto. (People in the News).(names chairman)(Brief Article)
September 27, 2002... Regional supermarket chsin Bozzuto's gave its chief executive and president Michael Bozzuto the added title of chair man. of the board.

Best Buy. (People in the News).(three appointments)(Brief Article)
September 27, 2002... Best Buy named Jennifer Driscoll VP of investor relations. Elizabeth Kathan VP of business unit communications and John Noble VP of finance, enterprise shared services.

KB Toys named David Sweigart VP of the Midwest region. (People in the News).(Brief Article)
September 27, 2002... KB Toys named David Sweigart VP of the Midwest region. He will be responsible for more than 170 stores. Sweigart comes from Gart Sports, where he was a district sales manager.

Nash Finch. (People in the News).(Brief Article)
September 27, 2002... Nash Finch promoted Jerry Nelson to president and COO. He most recently served as corporate executive VP and president of food distribution. Nelson will continue to oversee the retailer's wholesaling operations.

Staples. (People in the News).(Brief Article)
September 27, 2002... Staples appointed Paul Capelli VP of public relations. He most recently served in a similar capacity at CNBC Television.

Saks Inc. (People in the News).(Brief Article)
September 27, 2002... Saks Inc. promoted Peggy Eskenssi to president of private brand and product development for its department store group. She joined the retailer in 1997 as senior VP of private brand and product development.

Wal-Mart posts sales update. (People in the News).(Brief Article)
September 27, 2002... Wal-Mart says its September same-store sales will come in at the low end of its 4% to 6% forecast. Despite an increase in foot traffic, the discounter says it has not recorded higher revenues.

Federated spreads store innovations.(upgrades 10 percent of stores)(Brief Article)
September 27, 2002... Fitting rooms, signage, in-store kiosks and shopping carts are all on tap for varying degrees of expansion an improvement at roughly 10% of Federated Department Stores' locations. The Cincinnati company describes the effort as part of its...

Costco launches Fresh concept.(Brief Article)
September 27, 2002... The Costco Fresh grocery-centric concept is finally poised to bloom. Costco will launch the store at a former Kmart site in Bellevue, Wash. The retailer signed a lease last week and is expected to be moved in by late spring, according to The...

Lowe's plans New York invasion.(Brief Article)
September 27, 2002... Lowe's is in a New York state of mind. The home improvement giant set its sights on the greater New York City metro area to open more than 60 stores over the next several years. That's an investment of nearly $1 billion. Lowe's is on pace to...

Stop & Shop, a division of Ahold USA. (This Week's Retail News Nuggets).(Brief Article)
September 27, 2002... Stop & Shop, a division of Ahold USA, will construct a 1.3 million-sq.-ft. distribution center for dry goods and perishables in Freetown, Mass. The facility, which will open sometime in 2004, will replace an existing center in Readville, Mass.

KB Toys and Sears, Roebuck and Co. (This Week's Retail News Nuggets).(Brief Article)
September 27, 2002... KB Toys and Sears, Roebuck and Co. are expanding their store-within-a-store program from 29 KB Toys at Sears shops to 77 locations for the 2002 holiday season.

Kmart. (This Week's Retail News Nuggets).(allowed to pay lawyers for bankruptcy services)(Brief Article)
September 27, 2002... Kmart received permission from a bankruptcy-court judge to pay its lawyers and advisors a total of $22 million in fees and expenses for three months of work. The largest portion of the pot goes to Skadden, Arps, slate, Meagher & Flom, the...

Gap, Target, Abererombie & Fitch, Talbot's, J.C. Penney, Limited Brands and the Lane Bryant division of Charming Shoppes. (This Week's Retail News Nuggets).(Brief Article)
September 27, 2002... Seven retailers settled a federal end California state lawsuit alleging sweatshop conditions. Gap, Target, Abererombie & Fitch, Talbot's, J.C. Penney, Limited Brands and the Lane Bryant division of Charming Shoppes acknowledged no wrongdoing,...

Marshall Fields. (This Week's Retail News Nuggets).(Brief Article)
September 27, 2002... Marshall if Fields has partnered with artist Sarah Lugg on gifts and collectibles.

Edens & Avant partnered with Samuels & Associates. (This Week's Retail News Nuggets).(Brief Article)
September 27, 2002... Edens & Avant partnered with Samuels & Associates to buy 36 shopping centers in the Northeast from Konover & Associates.

New stores, new markets.(Brief Article)
September 20, 2002... Cost Plus World Market opened in Newport News, Va., across from the Patrick Henry Mall. Costco will open its third Fresno, Calif.-area store on Nov. 26, on. the site of a former drive-in movie theater. Tiffany & Go. will add a store...

Two executives leave Fleming, company reviewing retail units.(Brief Article)
September 20, 2002... Fleming confirmed this week that two senior executives have resigned from their positions. The move preceded the circulation of rumors a few days later that the food wholesaler and retailer was making plans to trim its staff at its Texas...

Holiday forecast: sales lower than 2001.(Brief Article)
September 20, 2002... The stockings will still be hung from the chimney with care, they'll just have less inside of them. Holiday retail sales this year are expected to fall short of the 4.4% gain in 2001 and the 4.3% gain recorded in 2000. Sales are also expected...

Kmart selling ISP to focus on stores.(Brief Article)
September 20, 2002... Kmart is cutting its ties with its red-ink laden Internet service provider (ISP). The discount chain hopes to sell the dial-up Internet access and e-mail services business of its BlueLight.com business to NetBrands at an auction scheduled for...

Dollar General CEO steps down.(Brief Article)
September 20, 2002... Cal Turner Jr. is stepping clown as chief executive of Dollar General, a position he has held since 1977. He joined the discount chain, founded by his father and grandfather 63 years ago, in 1965. Turner will remain chairman and assist in the...

The Dress Barn. (People in the News).(Brief Article)
September 20, 2002... The Dress Barn elected John Usdan to its board of directors. He is the president of Midwood Management.

Charming Shoppes buys Maryland DC.(Brief Article)
September 20, 2002... Charming Shoppes spent $17.3 million to acquire a distribution center in White Marsh, Md., in Baltimore County. The retailer plans to use the distribution center to supply its Lane Bryant chain, which operates 655 stores. The 392,500-sq.-ft....

ShopKo launching new store format.(Brief Article)
September 20, 2002... Specialty discount store chain ShopKo is going after a younger audience with a new store format. The retailer's new Urbanology concept will sell fashion accessories and home furnishings targeted to teen-agers aged 13 to 17. "Urbanology pulls...

RX drug spending for children rises.(Brief Article)
September 20, 2002... Maybe Eckerd, CVS and other drug chains should shift their focus to a different core customer. A new study conducted by Medco Health Solutions, a pharmacy-benefits management firm, found that kids are outpacing their parents and grandparents...

Three chains sell tech assets over Web.(Brief Article)
September 20, 2002... Three retailers that are no longer in operation have partnered with Bid4Assets, an on-line auction marketplace, to auction off their business software licenses. Montgomery Ward, Service Merchandise and Heilig-Meyers all plan to sell software...

Casual Male. (This Week's Retail News Nuggets).(Brief Article)
September 20, 2002... Casual Male wants to expand in the metro areas of Chicago, San Francisco and New York City. Its stores in those markets are located in the suburbs rather than the city centers where it wants to be located.

Winn-Dixie. (People in the News).(Brief Article)
September 20, 2002... Winn-Dixie appointed Karen Salem senior VP, CIO. She will also be a member of the chain's executive committee.

Best Buy. (People in the News).(Brief Article)
September 20, 2002... Best Buy named Jennifer Driscoll VP of investor relations, Elizabeth Kathan VP of business unit communications and John Noble VP of finance, enterprise shared services.

Drugstore.com. (People in the News).(Brief Article)
September 20, 2002... Sridhar Iyer was appointed VP of technology, CIO of Drugstore.com, a new position for the company.

Target. (This Week's Retail News Nuggets).(Brief Article)
September 20, 2002... Target partnered with maternity fashion designer Liz Lange to create a line of clothing to be sold at its name-brand stores.

Starbucks. (This Week's Retail News Nuggets).(store in Greece)(Brief Article)
September 20, 2002... Starbucks opened its first store in Greece this week in Athens.

Developers Diversified Realty will acquire JDN Realty. (This Week's Retail News Nuggets).(Brief Article)
September 20, 2002... Developers Diversified Realty will acquire JDN Realty, which operates more than 100 properties, in a stock deal.

7-Eleven. (This Week's Retail News Nuggets).(refrigerator zone for kids)(Brief Article)
September 20, 2002... 7-Eleven is creating a "Cooler Fun Zone" for its refrigerators in which it places refreshments at a child's eye-level.

Wal-Mart. (This Week's Retail News Nuggets).(private-label clothing)(Brief Article)
September 20, 2002... Wal-Mart will roll its private-label clothing line, George, to all of its domestic discount and supercenter locations later this month.

Kroger acquired 18 Raley's stores in Las Vegas. (This Week's Retail News Nuggets).(Brief Article)
September 20, 2002... Kroger acquired 18 Raley's stores in Las Vegas. The grocer has yet to decide which of the dozen-and-a-half stores will operate under its Smith's banners and which will be converted to its Food4Less nameplate.

New stores, new markets.
September 13, 2002... H & M opened a store on 125th Street in Harlem. N.Y., last week. Staples and TJX are also said to be building stores along 125th street. Ross Dress For Less and the Shoe Dept. signed on as tenants of The Shoppes at Hamilton Place in...

Best Buy downsizing Sam Goody, dwindling music sales spur move.
September 13, 2002... Is the lack of good new music the reasoning behind "a rapid drop-off in sales of prerecordad music" at Sam Goody? Perhaps. A slowdown in mall foot traffic and a rise in on-line piracy of music are also contributing to the woes. As a result,...

U.S. Foodservice buys Lady Baltimore.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
September 13, 2002... Royal Ahold continues to grow its foodservice business to complement its supermarket operations. U.S. Foodservice, a division of Ahold, is spending an undisclosed sum to acquire certain, assets and assume certain liabilities of Lady Baltimore...

BJ's wholesale names new CEO/Pres.
September 13, 2002... There's a new sheriff in town in the Natick, Mass., headquarters of BJ's Wholesale Club. The retailer appointed Michael Wedge as chief executive, president and, a director of the company. He replaces John Nugent, who resigned after spending...

Barnes & Noble. (People in the News).(Maureen O'Connell resigned as executive VP of finance of Barnes & Noble)
September 13, 2002... Maureen O'Connell resigned as executive VP of finance of Barnes & Noble. She will join research and advisory firm Gartner as executive VP, CFO and chief administrative officer. Larry Zilavy, Barnes & Noble's CFO, will assume her duties.

Sundance Catalog Co. (People in the News).
September 13, 2002... Hot Topic named Patricia Van Cleave as chief merchandising officer, a new position. She comes from Sundance Catalog Co., where she was chief executive and president.

Zutopia. (People in the News).(Brief Article)
September 13, 2002... Jennifer Pritchard was names president of Zutopia, a division of The Wet Seal. She joins the retailer from TEX 38, a California marketing group for Asian-based manufacturers.

Polo Retail for Polo Ralph Lauren. (People in the News).
September 13, 2002... Wayne Meichner was named president of Polo Retail for Polo Ralph Lauren. Meichner, will be responsible for Polo Ralph Lauren's 35 stores in the United States. He replaces Charles Fagan, who was named executive VP of global retail brand...

Circuit City elected former Home Depot. (People in the News).
September 13, 2002... Circuit City elected former Home Depot executive VP Ronald Brill as a director.

Gap added former Wal-Mart. (People in the News).(executive Bob Martin)(Brief Article)
September 13, 2002... Gap added former Wal-Mart executive Bob Martin to its board of directors.

Weis Markets. (People in the News).(James Marcil, Steve Michaelson hired)(Brief Article)
September 13, 2002... Weis Markets hired Steve Michaelson as senior VP of marketing and merchandising, and James Marcil as VP of human resources.

Value City Department Stores. (People in the News).(Charles Rath named executive vice president, chief marketing officer)(Brief Article)
September 13, 2002... Value City Department Stores named Charles Rath executive VP, chief marketing officer. He comes from fast-food restaurant chain Wendy's, where he had been employed since the mid-1970s and was the principal architect of the ads featuring...

Limited banking on Express Men's idea.(Brief Article)
September 13, 2002... Limited Brands hopes the conversion of its men's apparel chain Structure to the Express Men's format will hit a high note with made consumers. The retailer has already converted a handful of Structure stores in Chicago, Detroit and...

Research indicates near-normalcy.(consumer retail spending has grown)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
September 13, 2002... A pair of studies describe a return to retail normalcy since last Sept. 11. The National Retail Sales Estimate (NRSE) reported that consumer retail spending has grown at an average pace of 5.2% since last year, below the 5.8% rate of growth...

Office Depot partners with Amazon.com.(Brief Article)
September 13, 2002... Office Depot joined retailers such as Toys "R" Us, Circuit City and Borders by signing an agreement with Amazon.com this week. Under terms of the deal, Office Depot will manage inventory and product fulfillment of the merchandise while Amazon...

OfficeMax. (This Week's Retail News Nuggets).(same-store sales for the first six weeks of the third quarter )
September 13, 2002... OfficeMax' same-store sales for the first six weeks of the third quarter increased in the mid-single-digit range. The results, which include the all-important back-to-school season, are higher than the 3.4% increase the retailer recorded in...

DJM Asset Management. (This Week's Retail News Nuggets).
September 13, 2002... DJM Asset Management will assist The Wiz in its disposition of 26 store locations in New York and New Jersey.

Kmart. (This Week's Retail News Nuggets).(launched its first issue of La Vida magazine)
September 13, 2002... Kmart launched its first issue of La Vida magazine, which features articles and other content targeted to Hispanic consumers.

Lowes. (This Week's Retail News Nuggets).(construct a flatbed center )
September 13, 2002... Lowe's will spend $13.6 million to construct a flatbed center in Grand Ledge, Mich.

Fleming. (This Week's Retail News Nuggets).(shuttering its trucking terminal )
September 13, 2002... Fleming is shuttering its trucking terminal at its distribution center in La Crosse, Wis., according to published reports. Instead, it will hire outside trucking firms to ship merchandise from the facility. In other news, Harmon City says it...

OfficeMax. (This Week's Retail News Nuggets).(settles lawsuit)
September 13, 2002... OfficeMax paid $7.1 million in cash to settle a lawsuit in California regarding overtime wages.

New stores, new markets.(Brief Article)
September 6, 2002... Barnen & Noble will open in Mentor, Ohio, in two weeks next to the Great Lakes Mall. The chain will also add stores at The Avenue at West Cobb Shopping Center in Atlanta next September and in Wilmington, N.C., in April 2004. J.C. Penney...

Back-to-school sales fail test: comps increase 1.6% in August.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
September 6, 2002... So much for the ever-strong back-to-school season. This year, consumers are only shopping for merchandise that they require, not desire. Retail comparable-store sales rose just 1.6% in August, according to the Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi. The...

Amazon.com. (People in the News).(appoints Thomas Szkutak)(Brief Article)
September 6, 2002... Amazon.com appointed Thomas Szkutak senior VP, CFO. He replaces Warren Jenson, who left earlier in the year to join Electronic Arts. Szkutak is currently CFO of General Electric's lighting division. He will join Amazon in the next several...

KB Toys named John Scales regional VP. (People in the News).(Brief Article)
September 6, 2002... KB Toys named John Scales regional VP, Western division, which operates more than 210 stores. He joins the chain from Universal Studios, where he was VP of retail operations.

The Sports Authority. (People in the News).(appoints Louis-Philippe Vanier)(Brief Article)
September 6, 2002... The Sports Authority appointed Louis-Philippe Vanier executive VP of store operations. He most recently served as chief executive and president of Dylex, a specialty retailer in Canada, with more than 650 stores. Also, Sports Authority named...

Factory 2-U Stores. (People in the News).(Mary McNabb returns)(Brief Article)
September 6, 2002... Mary McNabb returned to off-price retailer Factory 2-U Stores as executive VP of merchandising. He last position was as executive VP of merchandising and marketing with the chain.

Say it isn't so Moe: Ginsburg folds up. (People in the News).(Brief Article)
September 6, 2002... Legendary men's apparel retailer Moe Ginsburg is going out of business. The 50,000-sq.-ft. store on Fifth Avenue has been a retail fixture in Manhattan since the early 70s but succumbed. to the recession and post Sept. 11 spending patterns....

Home Depot reorganizes, outlines capex. (People in the News).(Brief Article)
September 6, 2002... The Home Depot is combining two divisions into one that will oversee the mid-Atlantic, the Southeast and the Caribbean. The retailer's new Eastern Division will encompass more than 450 stores. Tom Taylor will be in charge of new division,...

E-grocer news: Gordy's Foods, Peapod. (People in the News).(Brief Article)
September 6, 2002... Regional supermarket chain Gordy's Foods launched an on-line pick-up service this summer at its store in Grand Rapids, Minn., targeted to consumers vacationing in and around the local resort community. Under the service, shoppers log onto the...

Saks, Jane Seymour form partnership. (People in the News).(Brief Article)
September 6, 2002... A new line of merchandise to be offered at Saks' department stores is just which the doctor ordered. The retailer signed a deal this week with Jane Seymour in which the actress will develop a line of home products and apparel to be sold...

Albertson's will spend $500 million over the next three years to convert its remaining coventional supermarkets. (This Week's Retail News Nuggets).(Brief Article)
September 6, 2002... Albertson's will spend $500 million over the next three years to convert its remaining coventional supermarkets in its Southwest division to the Albertson's-Osco format.

Wild Oats. (This Week's Retail News Nuggets).(Brief Article)
September 6, 2002... Wild Oats plans to open 58 new stores and remodel a number of the older units over the next three years through a private stock offering that will raise $46 million.

The Sports Authority. (This Week's Retail News Nuggets).(new stores)(Abstract)(Brief Article)
September 6, 2002... The Sports Authority plans to open 10 new stores in 2003 and 15 new stores in the year following.