Chain Store Age Executive Fax articles from September 2004

Chain Store Age Executive Fax archives from September 2004

New stores, new markets.(Brief Article)
September 3, 2004... Eddie Bauer opened an outlet location at the Columbia Gorge Premium Outlets in Troutdale, Ore.... Build-A-Bear Workshop leased 22,000 sq. ft. of space for a store on Fifth Avenue in New York City on 46th Street.... Old Navy opened seven new...

When it rains in August, it pours: same-store sales increase 1.1%.(Illustration)
September 3, 2004... Here are some of the hurdles retailers faced last month: shifting state-tax holidays, a later Labor Day and related promotions, some later back-to-school shopping and Hurricane Charley. The result was weaker-than-expected sales. August...

Sean John.(People In The News)(Brief Article)
September 3, 2004... Celebrity entrepreneur Sean "P. Diddy" Combs, founder and president of the Sean John clothing line, opened a flagship on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. The 3,500-sq.-ft. store, designed to resemble a living room, is a prototype for future...

Bebe Stores.(People In The News)(Brief Article)
September 3, 2004... ... Bebe Stores promoted Barbara Wambach to chief administrative officer. She was previously president and COO of Bebe Sport. Bebe founder and chairman Manny Mashouf will assume responsibility for the Bebe Sport division.

ShopKo Stores.(People In The News)(Brief Article)
September 3, 2004... ... ShopKo Stores named Paul White senior VP and chief merchandising officer for the company's 140 ShopKo stores. He joined the company in 2003. ShopKo also named Jeffrey Herkert director of application and integration services.

Royal Ahold.(People In The News)(Brief Article)
September 3, 2004... ... Royal Ahold appointed Bart Karis as senior VP, general merchandising, effective Dec. 1. Karis was formerly VP of retail, Europe, for IKEA.

Gadzooks.(People In The News)(Brief Article)
September 3, 2004... ... In the midst of Chapter 11 restructuring efforts, Gadzooks CFO James Motley is resigning to join an unnamed private distribution company.

Saks Inc.(People In The News)(Brief Article)
September 3, 2004... ... Saks Inc. department store group promoted Harris Mustafa to executive VP of private-brand and product development. The promotion partly covers for the departure of Peggy Eskenasi, who left Saks last month.

Walgreens.(People In The News)(Brief Article)
September 3, 2004... ... Walgreens senior VP, general counsel and corporate secretary Julian Oettinger will retire early next year. He will be replaced by Dana Green, senior VP of human resources.

Big chains rely on third-party logistics.(Brief Article)
September 3, 2004... Retailers rely on third-party logistics service providers (3PLs) more than other industries. That's one finding from a study of major U.S. corporations from Stoughton,Wis.-based Armstrong & Associates. The report also indicates that the...

Wal-Mart re-examines Chicago plans.(Brief Article)
September 3, 2004... Resistance to big boxes in the Windy City may blow away Wal-Mart plans to expand. The Bentonville, Ark.-based retail giant decided not to renew its contract to build on the South Side of Chicago in a project that was still seeking approval. The...

Executive survey sees good and bad.(Brief Article)
September 3, 2004... The bad news: customer traffic and natural disasters. The good news: manageable inventory levels and average transactions per customer. These are the findings of the latest National Retail Federation (NRF) Executive Opinion Survey. In August,...

This week's retail news nuggets.(Brief Article)
September 3, 2004... Wal-Mart reportedly is considering a $1.8 billion bid for U.K. retailer Matalan.... More than 570 Circuit City stores will feature a Verizon Wireless store-within-a-store thanks to a new agreement between the two companies. The concept will...

New stores, new markets.(Brief Article)
September 10, 2004... Trader Joe's plans to open soon in Brentwood, Mo.; Elk Grove, Calif.; Westlake, Ohio; Capitol Hill, Wash.; and Burlington, Mass.... Lane Home Furnishings recently cut the ribbon on its first store in Nevada in the Las Vegas suburb of...

Sales rocked by a hurricane: Labor Day success wiped out.(Hurricane Frances)(Brief Article)
September 10, 2004... Florida experienced a bit of namesake irony this past week, as a second hurricane hit The Sunshine State, dealing a strong blow to retailers that were hoping for a successful sales weekend. Back-to-school goods took a back seat to food and home...

Wal-Mart: economic factors hurt sales.(Brief Article)
September 10, 2004... With its core customer living paycheck-to-paycheck, Wal-Mart has seen some troubling times in recent months, as rising gas prices and other economic factors have affected sales. Speaking at the recent Goldman Sachs conference, Wal-Mart chief...

Target.com offering custom clothing.(Brief Article)
September 10, 2004... Target has added a new e-retail store that will allow consumers to buy customized clothing. The service, known as "Target to a T," lets shoppers tailor clothing to their specific size, fit and color preference from its many apparel brands, such...

The Children's Place has elected Chuck Crovitz to its board and named him chairman of the compensation committee.(People In The News)(Brief Article)
September 10, 2004... The Children's Place has elected Chuck Crovitz to its board and named him chairman of the compensation committee. He most recently was executive VP, chief supply chain officer at Gap....

Party City.(People In The News)(Brief Article)
September 10, 2004... Party City appointed Gregg Melnick as its new senior VP, CFO, effective Sept. 16. Melnick most recently served as a VP with Dow Jones, where he oversaw the finance teams for each business segment. Prior to that, he served as CFO of Susan Dell,...

Neiman Marcus.(People In The News)(Brief Article)
September 10, 2004... ... Neiman Marcus appointed Steven Dennis as senior VP of strategy, business development and multichannel marketing. He most recently served with Sears, where he was employed for 12 years. His most recent position was VP of corporate strategy....

Shoe Carnival.(People In The News)(Brief Article)
September 10, 2004... Shoe Carnival promoted W. Kerry Jackson to executive VP, CFO. He has been with the footwear retailer since May 1988.

Esprit returns to U.S. retail scene.(People In The News)(Brief Article)
September 10, 2004... Esprit has returned to the domestic retail market with the opening of a 10,000-sq.-ft. flagship in Manhattan. The sportswear brand, founded in San Francisco, has been through several ownership changes and is now owned by Esprit Holdings Ltd., a...

For Couche-Tard, Phoenix is rising.(Brief Article)
September 10, 2004... Convenience store retailer Alimentation Couche-Tard is spending $33 million to acquire 22 sites from Shell Oil Products in the Phoenix market. Under terms of the deal, Couche-Tard will buy the land and buildings for 20 of these locations, and...

Frank's Nursery wilts, will close shop.(Brief Article)
September 10, 2004... Frank's Nursery & Crafts, Inc. filed for bankruptcy protection this week, its second such filing in recent years. The retailer says it has sustained significant losses from operations since emerging from its prior Chapter 11 proceeding in May...

Kmart updates transaction with Sears.(Brief Article)
September 10, 2004... Kmart will sell 45 of its stores to Sears for $524 million. The sale of possibly another six stores for up to $65.3 million remains subject to certain conditions that would have to be met within the next 15 days, the company reported. Kmart...

This week's retail news nuggets.(business buyouts)(Brief Article)
September 10, 2004... Eastern Mountain Sports has completed a management-led buyout of the company from American Retail Group. Will Manzer, president and chief executive of the 80-store chain, led the buyout, with financing led by J. H. Whitney & Co.... Winn-Dixie...

Washington state is home to four new superstores from Jo-Ann Stores.(New stores, New Markets)(Brief Article)
September 17, 2004... Washington state is home to four new superstores from Jo-Ann Stores. The chain opened in Bellevue at Cross Roads Shopping Center; Puyallup in the Meridian Town Center; Lynnwood in the Lynnwood Center; and Tacoma in the Boulevard Center. Jo-Ann...

Cato debuted in South Dakota in Sioux Falls this week.(New stores, New Markets)(Brief Article)
September 17, 2004... Cato debuted in South Dakota in Sioux Falls this week. The chain also opened in Newton, Kan.; Oskaloosa, Iowa; and Leitchfield, Ky.

Borders opens at the Stafford (Va.) Marketplace shopping center this November.(New stores, New Markets)(Brief Article)
September 17, 2004... Borders opens at the Stafford (Va.) Marketplace shopping center this November. It will mark the chain's 12th store in the state.

Home-furnishings chain West Elm.(New stores, New Markets)(Brief Article)
September 17, 2004... Home-furnishings chain West Elm, a division of Williams-Sonoma, will open its second store in the New York City metro area next month in the Chelsea neighborhood.

Dollar Tree recently set up shop in Augusta, Ga.(New stores, New Markets)(Brief Article)
September 17, 2004... Dollar Tree recently set up shop in Augusta, Ga., in a former Kitchen & Co. location.

Whole Foods Market just opened in Princeton, N.J.(New stores, New Markets)(Brief Article)
September 17, 2004... Whole Foods Market just opened in Princeton, N.J. Later this year, it will open in Sarasota and West Palm Beach, Fla.

Grocery chain Fresh Market opened in Tallahassee, Fla.(New stores, New Markets)(Brief Article)
September 17, 2004... Grocery chain Fresh Market opened in Tallahassee, Fla., in part of a former Wal-Mart store. It plans to add more stores in the state later this year in Coconut Grove, Naples and Bonita Springs.

Gap now targets boomer women; A&F hopes to 'Ruehl' the world.(Brief Article)
September 17, 2004... "We'll start with 10 stores and see where it goes." That's pretty much all the information Gap, Inc. chief executive Paul Pressler gave regarding the retailer's new format, which will target women aged 35 and over. Quoted in The Wall Street...

At federated, it's down to two banners.(Federated Department Stores)(Brief Article)
September 17, 2004... The regional department store chain took another step backward this week, as Federated Department Stores noted that it will fully convert its regional outlets to the Macy's nameplate. The move continues the decision Federated made last year...

Sears.com adds apparel, home fashions.(Brief Article)
September 17, 2004... Sears acquired more than Lands' End's merchandise mix when it bought the company two years ago. It also tapped into the expertise of the direct merchant, which had long been considered a leading innovator in the on-line marketplace. Sears.com,...

Albertson.(People In The News)(Paul Gannon appointed )(Brief Article)
September 17, 2004... Paul Gannon was appointed chief marketing officer of Albertson's. He most recently served as CEO and president of Shaw's, which Albertson's bought this April....

CVS.(People In The News)(appointed Alfred Verrecchia )(Brief Article)
September 17, 2004... CVS has elected Alfred Verrecchia to its board of directors and audit committee. He is president and CEO of Hasbro....

Lawrence Castellani will retire as CEO of Advance Auto Parts next May during its annual stockholders' meeting.(People In The News)(Brief Article)
September 17, 2004... Lawrence Castellani will retire as CEO of Advance Auto Parts next May during its annual stockholders' meeting. He will remain as chairman. Michael Coppola, executive VP, COO of the chain, has been designated to become CEO at that time....

Eddie Bauer.(People In The News)(Stephen Cirona appointed )(Brief Article)
September 17, 2004... Eddie Bauer named Stephen Cirona as VP of design, effective next week. He most recently was president and principal director of Stephen Cirona New York, a custom clothing company. Cirona also served with Tommy Hilfiger, where he last served as...

At Scotty's, Charley reason for Chapt. 11.(bankruptcy)(Brief Article)
September 17, 2004... Competing against rivals The Home Depot and Lowe's? No problem. Going up against Mother Nature? Not so easy. Hardware chain Scotty's filed for bankruptcy this week, stating that Hurricane Charley destroyed its largest store in Punta Gorda, Fla....

Another labor strike in California?(Brief Article)
September 17, 2004... Another retailer-union showdown is brewing in The Golden State, this time up north. Still suffering from the effects of a costly labor battle in Southern California, the nation's three largest grocers--Kroger, Albertson's and Safeway--and...

More opportunity to upsell RX buyers.(prescription drugs )(Brief Article)
September 17, 2004... Too many stores that fill prescription drugs are letting consumers walk out the door without buying something else. A recent study conducted by Information Resources and WSL Strategic Retail discovered that only 56% of shoppers who bought...

Jos. A. Bank settles N.Y. promotion suit.(New York )(Brief Article)
September 17, 2004... Jos. A. Bank agreed this week to pay $475,000 to settle a probe by the New York State Attorney General's office that claimed the men's apparel retailer stated merchandise was "on sale" when in fact it was not. Attorney General Eliot Spitzer's...

Caruso beats general growth in Calif.(Caruso Affiliated)(Brief Article)
September 17, 2004... Despite General Growth Properties' clout and bankroll, voters in Glendale, Calif., this week approved Caruso Affiliated's plan to construct a lifestyle center north of downtown Los Angeles. General Growth, the No. 2 real estate firm in the...

This week's retail news nuggets.(Brief Article)
September 17, 2004... Albertson's denied charges by Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, a consumer advocacy group, that it sold customer information to drug companies.... West Marine lowered its earnings guidance for the third quarter and the fiscal year after Hurricanes...

New stores, new markets.(Brief Article)
September 24, 2004... Jos. A. Bank recently added stores at Penn Square Mall in Oklahoma City; Arundel Mills in Baltimore; Menlo Park Mall in Edison, N.J.; The Shoppes at Blackstone Valley in Millbury, Mass.; Fashion Square in Sherman Oaks, Calif.; and Jordan Creek...

In an open letter to California, Wal-Mart sets things straight.(Brief Article)
September 24, 2004... In an attempt to smooth things over in California, where things have not been going over so well in recent months, Wal-Mart wrote an open letter to the state's citizens that seeks to combat what it says is inaccurate information about its...

Schwarzenegger terminates wage bill.(Arnold Schwarzenegger)
September 24, 2004... Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed two bills last weekend in California: one that works in favor of big-box retailers, and another that holds back a gain in the state's hourly minimum wage. The wage bill would have raised California's hourly...

Wild Oats Markets.(People In The News)(Andre Halston appointed)(Brief Article)
September 24, 2004... Wild Oats Markets named Andre Halston as VP of food service and corporate executive chef. He most recently held the post of chief culinary officer for LaMadeleine Restaurants, a 62-unit company based in Dallas....

Albertson.(People In The News)(Albertson's Inc. appointed Nicola DiFelice)(Brief Article)
September 24, 2004... Albertson's named Nicola DiFelice as president of its Shaw's division, replacing Paul Gannon, who was named chief marketing officer of Albertson's last week....

Patrick Cowell.(People In The News)(Williams-Sonoma Inc.)(Brief Article)
September 24, 2004... Patrick Cowell will resign next March as president of Williams-Sonoma's name-brand division....

Drugstore.com.(People In The News)(Dawn Lepore appointed)(Brief Article)
September 24, 2004... Drugstore.com appointed Dawn Lepore as chairman and CEO, replacing Kal Raman, who resigned in June. Lepore is currently the vice chairman of technology, operations and administration of Charles Schwab. She also serves on the boards of Wal-Mart...

Crate & Barrel.(People In The News)(AnnTaylor Stores Corp. appointed Barbara Turf)(Brief Article)
September 24, 2004... AnnTaylor elected Barbara Turf, president of Crate & Barrel, to its board of directors. She also will serve on the compensation committee....

Pacific Sunwear.(People In The News)(Pacific Sunwear of California Inc. appointed Michael Goldstein)(Brief Article)
September 24, 2004... Pacific Sunwear has elected Michael Goldstein, the former chairman and chief executive of Toys "R" Us, to its board of directors....

J. Jill Group.(People In The News)(James Held appointed)(Brief Article)
September 24, 2004... J. Jill Group has appointed James Held, a former CEO of HSN, to its board....

R. Randall Onstead Jr. has stepped down as president of Safeway's Chicago-based Dominick's division.(People In The News)(Dominick's Supermarkets Inc.)(Brief Article)
September 24, 2004... R. Randall Onstead Jr. has stepped down as president of Safeway's Chicago-based Dominick's division. He will be succeeded by Bruce Everette, who serves as an executive VP at Safeway. Onstead's father, Robert R. Onstead, was cofounder of the...

RadioShack, sprint in mall kiosk deal.(Brief Article)
September 24, 2004... RadioShack expanded its relationship with telecommunications firm Sprint this week in a move that will bring Sprint-branded kiosks to roughly 500 shopping malls. The two firms had been testing the concept with 10 kiosks in select malls over the...

J.C. Penney eyes Calif. Mervyn's stores.(J.C. Penney Company Inc., California)(Brief Article)
September 24, 2004... J.C. Penney may be interested in acquiring select Mervyn's department store locations in California and reformatting them under its own banner, according to a report in The Dallas Morning News. The article was based on an interview with Merrill...

Heilig-Meyers has reorganization plan.(Brief Article)
September 24, 2004... Bankrupt furniture chain Heilig-Meyers Co. has a new plan to pay off its creditors. If upheld, the plan would bring an end to the Heilig-Meyers chain, transform its 63-store RoomStore division into an independent company and leave shareholders...

This week's retail news nuggets.(Brief Article)
September 24, 2004... Albertson's spent an undisclosed sum to acquire Bristol Farms, an 11-store chain based in El Segundo, Calif. Kevin Davis will continue as Bristol Farms' chief executive and president.... Saks, Inc. will open a flagship Club Libby Lu store next...