Consumer Affairs & Relations

Arlington, Va. –The Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) has named Annette Guarisco as executive VP for public affairs, effective Oct. 1. Guarisco will oversee RILA’s federal and state government affairs, as well as the association’s communications efforts.

Guarisco joins RILA following more than 11 years as a senior executive at General Motors, most recently serving as executive director of global public policy.

Mason, Ohio -- Pearle Vision will unveil its new store design on Sept. 17 in Legacy Village, Lyndhurst, Ohio. The new Cleveland-area location features a completely remodeled design, which includes everything from a new brand logo and signage to modernized displays and a completely transformed floor plan. The store design is by WD Partners, Columbus, Ohio.

By Greg Slusser, [email protected]

A case on the California Supreme Court’s docket questions whether or not a common law duty requires retailers to have automated external defibrillators (AEDs) ready to use in stores to treat sudden cardiac arrest, which strikes about 380,000 Americans each year and is the leading cause of death in the U.S.

Richfield, Minn. -- Hubert Joly, president and CEO of Best Buy Co., Inc., exercised and sold 350,467 stock options and sold 100,686 shares of company stock on Sept. 6. Joly sold the stock due to circumstances relating to his divorce that was concluded in June of this year.

“As reflected in the Form 4, Joly's holdings remain substantially in excess of his 140,000 share ownership target under the company's executive stock ownership guidelines following the reported transaction,” Best Buy said in a press release.

Atlanta – The Home Depot, Inc. is reportedly being sued in California Superior Court for unfair, arbitrary attempts to collect damages from customers accused of shoplifting.

According to Bloomberg, a California man filed a class action suit against Home Depot on Sept. 5 after receiving two letters from the retailer’s law firm threatening criminal prosecution if he did not pay hundreds of dollars in damages for taking work gloves worth about $8, which he says he did not steal.

Los Angeles -- Grocery chain Fresh & Easy confirmed reports that its British parent Tesco LLC has sold the brand to private equity firm The Yucaipa Cos., following months of uncertainty about the 200+-unit chain’s future.

Fresh & Easy posted on its website Tuesday that more than 4,000 jobs would be saved under the purchase agreement but that some stores will be closing.  Specific stores have not been identified, and the terms of the agreement weren’t disclosed.

An article that recently caught my eye adds more evidence to my growing suspicion (and I know I am far from alone in this) that the near-term to mid-term retail outlook might not be quite as positive as we may have thought just a few months ago. The piece, “Gap Stands out Among Retailers in Tough Quarter,” in Women’s Wear Daily highlighted the sobering second-quarter numbers from a long list of big retail brands. As the title implies, Gap, Inc.

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. — Kmart has launched a low-cost check-cashing service for Shop Your Way members at stores nationwide.