Consumer Affairs & Relations

Savannah, Ga. -- Citi Trends announced the resignation of Elizabeth R. Feher, the company’s executive VP and chief merchandising officer.

Ed Anderson, the company’s board chairman, will temporarily resume his previous role as executive chairman and, in that capacity, oversee merchandising and marketing while the retailer searches for a chief merchant.
 

BENTONVILLE, Ark. — Walmart announced that it is helping ensure customers pay the lowest price on holiday gifts with the launch of its Christmas price guarantee.

Customers who purchase eligible products at Walmart anytime between Nov. 1 and Dec. 25, and then find those same products advertised for less at another store, will receive a Walmart gift card for the difference through Dec. 25. 

WASHINGTON — The Grocery Manufacturers Association has highlighted the U.S. food and beverage industry's accomplishments on Food Day, which celebrates the more than 15 million Americans who work to provide billions of consumers with safe, healthy, convenient and affordable food.

One thing retailers learn, some of them the hard way, is to take no competitor lightly. Consider the case of Dollar General and a toy promotion it is running for the holidays.

Strongsville, Ohio -- The IBM Retail User Group has named Giant Eagle veteran Ron Ferri as its new president. The announcement was named at the group’s recent board of directors and 35th Annual Conference planning meeting in Las Vegas.

Ferri, a business process consultant with the supermarket chain, has participated in the IBM Retail Users Group for 12 years.
 

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — Fresh & Easy will kick off its annual in-store holiday food drive across all of its stores next month in honor of National Food Bank Week.

From mid-November trough Dec. 31, customers can donate canned and boxed goods in specially designated boxes at Fresh & Easy stores in Arizona, California and Nevada.

Last holiday season, the retailer and its customers donated more than $1 million in food to local food banks and charities.

NAPERVILLE, Ill. — OfficeMax announced that V. James Marino has been elected to serve on the company's board of directors.

"We are delighted to welcome Jim to the board of OfficeMax," said Rakesh Gangwal, chairman of OfficeMax.  "He brings significant expertise, insight and years of experience as a successful business leader, and we will benefit from having his perspective on the board."

BENTONVILLE, Ark. — In honor of Adopt-a-Dog Month in October, Sam's Club announced that it is pledging $20,000 of Simply Right branded pet food, supplies and Sam's Club gift cards to four U.S. animal shelters in need of support following recent natural disasters. The pet food is part of Sam's Club's new proprietary brand Simply Right line of quality and affordable pet care products, available exclusively to Sam's Club members.

It looks like there are going to be some unhappy folks in Walmart’s supplier community later today. That’s because there are only a few seats remaining for the Emerging Trends in Retail conference that is organized each fall by the Center for Retail Excellence in the Sam M. Walton College of Business at the University of Arkansas.

No one said being an international retailer was easy, a lesson Walmart continues to learn the hard way on distant shores. This time the country in question is China, a market where despite having a long history and extensive operations, the company managed to run afoul of local officials who temporarily closed 13 stores because, according to media, reports, some pork products were incorrectly labeled as organic. Walmart has been in China for about 15 years and currently operates 349 stores, consisting of 245 Walmart stores and 104 units that are still branded as Trust-Mart.