Consumer Affairs & Relations

CARLSBAD, Calif. — Callaway Golf Company has appointed Chip Brewer as president and CEO, effective March 5. Tony Thornley, who has served as interim president and CEO since June 2011, will resign from his interim positions on March 5, but will continue to serve on the Board of Directors. It is expected that Brewer will be appointed to the board of directors once he officially joins the company.    

New York City -- Consumer confidence in February shot up from last month to the highest level since a year ago, according to The Conference Board. The group’s Consumer Confidence Index now stands at 70.8, up from a revised 61.5 in January, buoyed by consumers' more positive assessment of the job market.

Salisbury, N.C. -- Bottom Dollar Food announced plans to open eight additional stores in New Jersey. The expansion will more than double the number of Bottom Dollar Food stores in the Garden State, with the first two stores opening March 2.

"We have been pleased with customer reaction to our current five stores in New Jersey and we are very excited to continue serving customers at our additional locations in the market," said Bottom Dollar Food president Meg Ham.

New York City -- The U.S. Bankruptcy Court in White Plains, N.Y., approved the Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Co.’s plan to exit bankruptcy plan. The supermarket company filed Chapter 11 in December 2010.

The reorganization plan includes $490 million in debt and equity financing from Ron Burkle’s Yucaipa Cos.

WABAN, Mass. — Publix earned top marks for customer service in a new survey by Temkin Group. The firm rated the customer experience of 206 large companies across 18 industries. 

In the grocery industry, Publix earned the top spot and is the second overall company across all 206 companies in the study. Aldi, H.E.B., and Winn-Dixie also scored very well. These four grocery chains received "excellent" customer experience ratings, a level that was only earned by eight companies across all 18 industries, Temkin Group reported.

PLEASANTON, Calif. — After stepping into the role on an interim basis, Safeway has named Brian Baer president of its Dominick's Finer Foods banner.

Baer, who has served as acting president of Dominick's since July 2011 after the exit of Don Keprta, has been part of Dominick's parent Safeway since 2001. Prior to his role as president, Baer served as Dominick's CFO and VP finance.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Express has appointed Michael Keane to the position of EVP human resources.

Keane's extensive experience includes more than twenty years in a series of human resource leadership positions with Tween Brands, Limited Brands, Borden Foods and Whirlpool Corporation.  He most recently served as EVP human resources and stores for Tween Brands, a wholly owned subsidiary of Ascena Retail Group Inc.

Hoffman Estates, Ill. -- Two months after Sears Holdings Corp. received a $150 million Illinois tax credit for cementing its plans to keep its home base in the state, it announced Monday that it would close six stores in Illinois.

The retailer had already announced in December – two weeks after the tax credit – that it would close 100 to 120 stores, but no Illinois stores were on the initial list.

Mooresville, N.C. -- Lowe’s Cos. reported Monday that profit for the quarter ended Feb. 3 rose 13% to $322 million, compared with $285 million a year earlier. Results topped Wall Street expectations and demonstrated an upward consumer swing in home-improvement projects.

Quarterly sales increased 11% to $11.6 billion from $10.5 billion, beating analysts’ expectations of $11.35 billion in revenue. Same-store sales rose 3.4%.

Cambridge, Mass. -- For the second consecutive time, Walmart’s overall branded basket registered as less expensive than Target’s, according to Kantar Retail’s semi-annual pricing study.