Chain Store Age Executive Fax articles from September 2003

Chain Store Age Executive Fax archives from September 2003

New stores, new markets.(includes multiple store openings)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2003... Sears opens later this month at Tutu Park Mall on St. Thomas.... Cosmetics and fragrance chain L'Occitane will debut in Charlotte, N.C., at SouthPark Mall in November. Janie and Jack, a division of Gymboree, and Lucky Brand Dungarees also will...

Strongest performance in a year as August comps rise 5.1%.
September 5, 2003... Back-to-school sales were good for most retailers, and when combined with strong customer traffic, better weather conditions and deeply discounted clearance sales the results were impressive. Retailers reported a 5.1% rise in comparable-store...

Gap, Inc.(People In The News)(hires Nicholas Severino)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2003... Nicholas Severino was named CFO of Gap, Inc.'s namebrand division. He recently served as VP of finance with Sears.

Hot Topic, Inc.(People In The News)(promotes Jerry Cook, Patricia Van Cleave)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2003... At Hot Topic, Inc.: Jerry Cook was promoted to president of its namebrand division and Patricia Van Cleave was promoted to president of its Torrid division.

Cato.(People In The News)(announces resignation of Wayland Cato)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2003... Wayland Cato is resigning as chairman of Cato, effective Jan. 31, 2004.

Chico's.(People In The News)(names Scott Edmonds president, CEO)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2003... Chico's appointed Scott Edmonds as its new CEO and president. He had been serving as president and COO since September 2001.

Kmart.(People In The News)(hires Bruce Johnson, Janet Kelly, Lisa Schultz)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2003... Kmart named Bruce Johnson senior VP of supply chain and operations; Janet Kelly chief administrative officer; and Lisa Schultz chief creative officer.

Albertson.(People In The News)(hires Mike Czuchra)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2003... Albertson's appointed former Wal-Mart Stores' executive Mike Czuchra as director of logistics and transportation.

Party City.(People In The News)(Nancy Pedot will not seek permanent CEO position)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2003... Nancy Pedot, acting CEO of Party City, pulled her name out of the running to become permanent CEO of the chain. She will remain as acting CEO until a successor is named.

And 'justice' for all tweenagers.(People In The News)(Too Inc. will name low-price clothing store for tweens Justice)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2003... Too Inc. unveiled the name of its new low-price apparel store for girls between ages seven and 14: Justice. The concept, named after Too CEO Mike Rayden's daughter, will replace seven of the company's 18 mishmash locations. Too discontinued its...

Albertson's to sell Office Depot goods.(Brief Article)
September 5, 2003... In what is being deemed as a customer-friendly initiative, Albertson's will begin selling office and school supplies from Office Depot inside 18 locations in Chicago, Los Angeles and Phoenix. The pilot program involves an assortment of more...

Zale to begin making jewelry again.(Brief Article)
September 5, 2003... Zale is eliminating the middle man. The specialty chain says it will begin making its own jewelry once again, a move that will boost profit margins. Zale has established a team that will buy gold and diamonds as raw materials and turn them into...

Delhaize acquires southern grocer.(Harveys Supermarkets)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2003... Delhaize Group, which operates the Food Lion, Hannaford Bros. and Kash 'n Karry supermarket chains, has added another grocer to the mix. The company is spending roughly $44.1 million to acquire Harveys Supermarkets, which operates 43 stores in...

This week's retail news nuggets.(includes multiple news briefs)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2003... Ross Stores, Inc. plans to open a new off-price format targeted to lower-income shoppers.... Magnolia Hi-Fi, a division of Best Buy Co., is changing its name to Magnolia Audio Video.... P.C. Richard bid $1.6 million for the intellectual...

New stores, new markets.(multiple briefs)(Brief Article)
September 12, 2003... Crate & Barrel plans to open a freestanding store at Geneva (Ill.) Commons in spring 2005.... Trader Joe's opened its fifth store in the Philadelphia market on the ground floor of a 170-unit apartment house in a converted industrial building....

Bealls plans new 'Coastal' format.(Coastal Home by Bealls)(Brief Article)
September 12, 2003... Bealls Department Stores will debut a new format this November in Florida called Coastal Home by Bealls. The retailer will debut the concept in three locations, including a former Jacobson's location at South Bay Fashion Center in Osprey. Two...

Chico's cancels Pazo test run, concept may return over time.(Brief Article)
September 12, 2003... Timing is everything, especially in retail. Chico's announced this week that it will discontinue the 10-store pilot test of its new Pazo concept, which targeted a slightly younger shopper than Chico's with trendier wares. Chico's believes the...

Spiegel puts Newport News up for sale.(Brief Article)
September 12, 2003... Looking to shed some weight before it emerges from bankruptcy, The Spiegel Group hired an outside firm this week to solicit interest in its Newport News division, a direct marketer of women's apparel. Spiegel filed for bankruptcy in March. One...

Gap: blackout lowered August comps.(Brief Article)
September 12, 2003... Gap's comparable-store sales were off to a brisk start during the first week of August, due in part to a strong response to its new line of back-to-school clothing. Then came the blackout. Gap told attendees this week at the Goldman Sachs...

Sales gain momentum in latest tally.(August retail sales)(Brief Article)
September 12, 2003... A snapshot of last week's retail sales shows a 4.4% growth from the prior year and a 0.5% growth over the prior week. The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi-UBS retail chain store sales index was lifted by strong back-to-school related items, including...

Penn traffic hires turnaround guru.(James Demme )(Brief Article)
September 12, 2003... Bankrupt grocer Penn Traffic elected turnaround expert James Demme as its chairman. He replaces Peter Zurkow, who will remain a director of the 211-store chain. Demme has helped retailers such as Bruno's Supermarkets and Homeland Stores emerge...

One Price Clothing Stores.(People In The News)(Leonard Snyder to step down )(Brief Article)
September 12, 2003... Leonard Snyder will step down later this month as chairman and CEO of One Price Clothing Stores. If the chain has not hired a permanent CEO by that date, Ronald Swedin, senior VP of store operations, will assume the title of acting CEO.

PriceSmart.(People In The News)(Allan Youngberg resigns)(Brief Article)
September 12, 2003... Allan Youngberg resigned last week as CFO of PriceSmart. He will serve as a consultant through November.

Sears says 'hola' to Lucy Pereda.(People In The News)(Brief Article)
September 12, 2003... Sears' is introducing a women's apparel line created specifically for Hispanic shoppers by Lucy Pereda. The collection will debut in 227 Sears stores later this month. Sears has more than 200 Hispanic-designated stores in its top markets,...

The recording empire fights back.(Brief Article)
September 12, 2003... The Recording Industry Association of America filed 261 lawsuits this week against individuals who allegedly shared music on line. The move closely followed on the heels of an announcement the prior week by Universal Records and other labels...

P.C. Richard, CDW each acquire assets.(acquisitions of The Wiz and Micro Warehouse)(Brief Article)
September 12, 2003... Regional consumer electronics retailer P.C. Richard & Son acquired select assets of its former rival, The Wiz, which closed its stores earlier this year. The purchase includes the Wiz' names, logo, intellectual property and its customer lists,...

Specialty chain looks to go national.(Brief Article)
September 12, 2003... Specialty retailer Swoozie's, which sells wrapping paper, gifts and stationary, is trying to get financing to expand its operations beyond three, soon to be four, metro locations in Atlanta. At the helm is David Dworkin, who served as president...

This week's retail news nuggets.(briefs)(Brief Article)
September 12, 2003... Krispy Kreme will open a store at a Wal-Mart supercenter in Mt. Airy, N.C. Four other Wal-Marts are slated to open doughnut shops later this year. In other news, tax-services company H&R Block will open shops within as many as 850 Wal-Mart...

New stores, new markets.(various retailers)(Brief Article)
September 19, 2003... Simply Fashions leased space at the Shoppes at Lakewood in Durham, N.C.... Whole Foods will be the anchor tenant at Towne Center at Cedar Lodge, located in Baton Rouge, La.... Look for Loehmann's to open next spring in a former Old Navy...

NRF's happy holiday forecast: sales growth of 5.7% expected.(National Retail Federation)(Brief Article)
September 19, 2003... Let the holiday games begin. The first sign of Christmas arrived in New York City this week, when the National Retail Federation (NRF) staged its annual seasonal sales forecast. This year, total holiday retail sales will grow 5.7% to $217.4...

Snyder's Drug files for Chapter 11.(Brief Article)
September 19, 2003... Unable to bring Drug Emporium back to financial health, Snyder's Drug Stores, based in Minnetonka, Minn., has filed for bankruptcy protection. The chain is looking to sell or close its 77-store Drug Emporium subsidiary, which it acquired in...

The Bon-Ton wins Elder-Beerman.(Brief Article)
September 19, 2003... After a back-and-forth bidding spree, The Bon-Ton Stores agreed to acquire The Elder-Beerman Stores Corp. for about $93 million, or $8 per share. The deal put a rest to a bid-matching exercise that included Wright Holdings, a buyout group led...

Footstar chief out after harsh report.(Mickey Robinson)(Brief Article)
September 19, 2003... Following a probe that found "significant weaknesses in the company's internal controls and procedures," Footstar chairman and CEO Mickey Robinson left the company. He is being replaced on an interim basis by board member Neele Stearns Jr. An...

Kings Super Markets' president and CEO Alan Levitan resigned.(People In The News)(Brief Article)
September 19, 2003... Kings Super Markets' president and CEO Alan Levitan resigned. The move, described as a mutual agreement, follows the decision by U.K.-based parent company Marks & Spencer to stop trying to sell the Kings division....

Dick's Sporting Goods appointed Jerel Hollens senior VP of supply chain.(People In The News)(Brief Article)
September 19, 2003... Dick's Sporting Goods appointed Jerel Hollens senior VP of supply chain. He most recently was VP of business design and merchandise projects at Gap, Inc....

Ann Taylor Stores Corp. appointed Michael Smaldone as senior VP of design for the Ann Taylor Stores division of Ann Taylor, Inc.(People In The News)(Brief Article)
September 19, 2003... Ann Taylor Stores Corp. appointed Michael Smaldone as senior VP of design for the Ann Taylor Stores division of Ann Taylor, Inc. He will be replacing Mark Eisen, who has resigned from the company for personal reasons....

Office Depot.(People In The News)(Hired Tyler Elm as director of environmental affairs)(Brief Article)
September 19, 2003... Office Depot hired Tyler Elm as director of environmental affairs. Elm will be responsible for coordinating the company's environmental activities....

Charlotte Russe Holding.(People In The News)(Appoints Donna Desrosiers to newly created position of executive VP and GMM for Charlotte Russe chain)(Brief Article)
September 19, 2003... Charlotte Russe Holding's long-time president and chief merchandising officer Harriet Sustarsic resigned. The retailer appointed Donna Desrosiers to the newly created position of executive VP and GMM for the Charlotte Russe chain....

Raley's Supermarkets hired David D'Arezzo as chief operating officer.(People In The News)(Brief Article)
September 19, 2003... Raley's Supermarkets hired David D'Arezzo as chief operating officer. D'Arezzo resigned from Delray Beach, Fla.-based Office Depot, where he was executive VP of merchandising....

Sheboygan, Wis.-based Fresh Brands, which owns and franchises Piggly Wiggly and Dick's Supermarkets, cut its ties to CFO Pat Plumley.(People In The News)(Brief Article)
September 19, 2003... Sheboygan, Wis.-based Fresh Brands, which owns and franchises Piggly Wiggly and Dick's Supermarkets, cut its ties to CFO Pat Plumley. The move was not related to financial issues, the company says.

Albertson's boosts e-grocer movement.(Expanded on-line grocery service, Albertsons.com, to Boise-area residents)(Brief Article)
September 19, 2003... Don't bid farewell to the on-line supermarket concept yet. Publix pulled the plug on its PublixDirect division last month, but Albertson's is moving ahead. The Boise, Idaho-based chain expanded its on-line grocery service, Albertsons.com, to...

Kroger posts Q2 profit decline.(Brief Article)
September 19, 2003... The nation's second-largest retailer, The Kroger Co., reported net earnings of $190.4 million for the second quarter ended Aug. 16, down 28.2% from $264 million. Higher costs and increased competition dragged down earnings. Comparable...

Trans World acquires music chains.(Trans World Entertainment Corp.)(Brief Article)
September 19, 2003... Trans World Entertainment Corp. (TWE) is heading into the holiday music-buying season with a bolstered lineup of stores. TWE is spending $41 million to acquire 133 stores of Torrance, Calif.-based Wherehouse Music and another $1.8 million for...

This week's retail news nuggets.(Golf-equipment retailer 2nd Swing backs off plans to go public; notes other news)(Brief Article)
September 19, 2003... Golf-equipment retailer 2nd Swing backed off its plans to go public. The company had planned to offer 2 million common shares at between $8 and $10 per share.... Sears, Roebuck and Co. acquired all rights to the Structure brand from Limited...

New stores, new markets.(includes multiple news briefs)(Brief Article)
September 26, 2003... Pamida opened stores this week in Albion, Mich., and Mount Vernon, Ind.... Beall's will open in a former Kmart location in Englewood, Fla., in January.... Movie Gallery just opened in Cullman, Ala., its 2,000th location.... Look for Cato's...

Dell's new deal: more offerings in digital-entertainment arena.(Brief Article)
September 26, 2003... As if competing with the Best Buy juggernaut isn't tough enough, retail consumer electronics chains are on notice of an emerging foe. Dell fast forwarded into the consumer electronics space with a revamped online store and new Dell products...

More formality: May buys Desmond's.(May Department Stores Co. acquires Desmond's Formal Wear Inc.)(Brief Article)
September 26, 2003... May Department Stores Co.'s tuxedo-rental business is heading west of the Mississippi River for the first time. May acquired Desmond's Formal Wear Inc., a tuxedo-rental/sales retailer in the Midwest, for an undisclosed cash sum. May, based in...

Sears divests of tire & battery unit.(Sears, Roebuck and Co. sells National Tire and Battery to TBC Corp.)(Brief Article)
September 26, 2003... Sears, Roebuck and Co. sold its National Tire & Battery (NTB) format to TBC Corp. for roughly $260 million. The move, which was expected by some observers, is further evidence of Sears' commitment to focus on its core department store business....

Economists to holidays: bring 'em on.(Brief Article)
September 26, 2003... In contrast to the pessimism that surrounded last year's holiday sales forecasts, the chief economist of New York City-based Deloitte Research expects the best Thanksgiving-to-New Year shopping period in recent memory. Non-auto retail sales...

PETsMART.(People In The News)(appoints Susanna Della Maddalena)(Brief Article)
September 26, 2003... PETsMART named Susanna Della Maddalena as VP and executive director of PETsMART Charities...

Sainsbury's Supermarkets.(People In The News)(names Jean-Paul Barat as director of product development)(Brief Article)
September 26, 2003... U.K.-based Sainsbury's Supermarkets appointed Jean-Paul Barat to director of product development. Beginning in November, he will oversee all aspects of the supermarkets product development....

MSM Jewelry Corp.(People In The News)(appoints Ratzon Kochavi as president, CEO)(Brief Article)
September 26, 2003... Ratzon Kochavi took over as president and CEO of New York City-based MSM Jewelry Corp. He replaces Isaac Nussen, who resigned....

Dick's Sporting Goods.(People In The News)(elects William R. Newlin chief administrative officer, executive vice president)(Brief Article)
September 26, 2003... William R. Newlin has been elected executive VP and chief administrative officer of Dick's Sporting Goods. He was previously chairman and CEO of the law firm Buchanan Ingersoll....

The Children's Place Retail Stores Inc.(People In The News)(names Elaine Eisenman as senior vice president)(Brief Article)
September 26, 2003... The Children's Place Retail Stores Inc. hired Elaine Eisenman as senior VP of human resources and administration....

Bluefly Inc.(People In The News)(hires Melissa Payner-Gregor as president)(Brief Article)
September 26, 2003... On-line fashion Web store Bluefly Inc. tapped former Spiegel Catalog president and CEO Melissa Payner-Gregor to serve as president....

Dollar General Corp.(People In The News)(hires Kathleen Guion as executive vice president)(Brief Article)
September 26, 2003... Dollar General Corp. appointed Kathleen Guion as executive VP, store operations. A former 7-Eleven VP, Guion most recently served as president and CEO of Duke and Long Distributing Co....

Changes Enterprises.(People In The News)(names Andrew Goetz as president, CEO)(Brief Article)
September 26, 2003... Changes Enterprises, an eight-store apparel chain, appointed Andrew Goetz president and CEO. He replaces his father, Gil Goetz....

SuperValu.(People In The News)(appoints Marissa Peterson, Ronald Daly to board of directors)(Brief Article)
September 26, 2003... SuperValu appointed to its board of directors Ronald Daly, president and CEO of Oce USA Holding, and Marissa Peterson, executive VP worldwide operations of Sun Microsystems.

Hudson's Bay's blueprint for growth.(Brief Article)
September 26, 2003... Hudson's Bay Co., Canada's oldest corporation, announced a strategic shift to accelerate its sales growth over the next five years. The lofty goal for 2008 targets C$9.0 billion ($6.7 billion) in sales and triple its current earnings. The...

Telemarketers no-call list put on hold.(Brief Article)
September 26, 2003... After a judge disconnected a telemarketers' do-not-call list, legislators went to work to keep the list on line. A federal judge ruled the Federal Trade Commission overstepped its authority when it created a national do-not-call list for...

Wal-Mart court tales; a case dismissed.(retailer loses its lawsuit over Tucson's 'big-box' law)(Brief Article)
September 26, 2003... While a judge in San Francisco ponders a class-action decision regarding a potentially massive sexual-discrimination lawsuit against Wal-Mart Stores, a judge in Tucson dismissed the retailer's suit over the city's "big-box" law. "We are...

This week's retail news nuggets.(includes multiple news briefs)(Brief Article)
September 26, 2003... Fort Worth, Texas-based Calloway's Nursery is buying back stock from individual shareholders in a bid to become privately held. The company, which runs 26 garden centers, hopes the move will save about $500,000 a year.... French sporting-goods...