Consumer Affairs & Relations

Stein Mart has elected Burton M. Tansky to the company's board of directors. Tansky was with Neiman Marcus for 23 years, retiring as president and CEO in 2010.

Before being named as CEO for the Neiman Marcus Group in 2001, Tansky was president and CEO of Neiman Marcus Stores. Prior to this he served as CEO of Bergdorf Goodman, a division of the Neiman Marcus Group, and as president of Saks Fifth Avenue.

In a letter to congressional leaders, the National Retail Federation underscored the retail industry’s commitment to protecting sensitive consumer data in the wake of the recent international cyber attacks and thefts.

Toms founder and CEO Blake Mycoskie is the latest recruit to join the B Team, a nonprofit initiative, co-founded by Sir Richard Branson and Jochen Zeitz. Mycoskie is the youngest member of team.

The B Team was created to encourage businesses to be a driving force for social, environmental and economic benefit.

American Eagle Outfitters has named Jay L. Schottenstein, executive chairman of the board, as the company’s interim CEO. Schottenstein takes over for Robert Hanson, who is leaving the company.

Minneapolis – Target Corp. continues to take steps in response to the holiday data breach that may have exposed the personal and financial data of up to 110 million consumers to hackers. The Wall Street Journal reports that Target shut down remote access to two internal sites in the aftermath of the massive attack.

York, Pa. – The Bon-Ton Stores, Inc. has reached an agreement with the city of Milwaukee to extend the lease for its Boston Store location in The Shops of Grand Avenue, Milwaukee, contingent upon the city providing financial contributions from its downtown Tax Increment Financing district.

Cincinnati – The Kroger Co. has promoted two veteran company executives. Jay Cummins has been named president of the Smith's Food and Drug Stores division and Joe Fey has been named president of Kroger's Mid-Atlantic division.

Cummins, 62, has been serving as president of Kroger's Mid-Atlantic division. He succeeds Mark Tuffin, who was named senior VP of retail divisions in December 2013.

Minneapolis – Target Corp. notified Canadian shoppers who visited U.S, Target stores between Nov. 27 and Dec. 15, 2013 that some of their personal data may have been compromised in the major data breach that hit the retailer. According to the Canadian Press, that information includes personal data such as names, addresses, emails and phone numbers, but not financial data.

New York -- Eminence Capital, which owns 4.9% of the common stock of Jos. A. Bank Clothiers and has been pushing for a deal between the retailer and rival Men’s Wearhouse, has nominated two industry veterans for election as directors to the board at Jos. A. Bank's annual meeting. The nominees include: Bruce J. Klatsky, former chairman of Phillips-Van Heusen Corporation, a position he held from 1994 until June 2007, and Norman S. Matthews, former president of Federated Department Stores and active and former board member of other retail and consumer companies.

Kroger has named Jay Cummins as president of the Smith's Food and Drug Stores division and Joe Fey as president of Kroger's Mid-Atlantic division.

Cummins has been serving as president of Kroger's Mid-Atlantic division. He succeeds Mark Tuffin, who was named SVP retail divisions in December.