Consumer Affairs & Relations

By Scott W. Bermack, [email protected]

Coppell, Texas -- CiCi's Pizza announced Monday that it has signed agreements for the addition of 16 units over the next five years and hired Wingstop veteran Bruce Evans to lead franchise sales.

The moves are part of CiCi's growth initiative, with the goal of adding 500 restaurants in the next eight to 10 years.

NEW YORK -- Jill Granoff is stepping down as CEO of Kenneth Cole Productions. According to a company press release the decision was a mutual agreement between Granoff and the board of directors. Kenneth Cole, chairman and chief creative officer, will act as interim CEO. Paul Blum, who was with the company for 15 years and served as president from 2002 to 2006, has agreed to return to the company and assume the role of vice chairman.

BEAUMONT, Texas -- Conn’s announced that it has appointed Theodore Wright to the position of interim CEO and president, following the news that Timothy Frank will step down as president and CEO of the company and resign as a director to pursue other opportunities.Conn’s said it will immediately commence a formal search to identify a permanent CEO.

Beaumont, Texas -- Electronics and appliances retailer Conns announced Monday that its president and CEO Timothy L. Frank has resigned the company.

Conns named Theodore M. Wright as the interim CEO and president, and has launched a search for a permanent replacement.

Frank has led the company as president and CEO since June 2009; he has been president since April 2006, and previously served as COO and senior VP retail.

Frank left to pursue other opportunities, the company said.

New York City -- Jill Granoff, chief executive of Kenneth Cole Productions, announced her resignation on Monday, effective immediately. She had company for three years.

In a statement, the company described the decision to find a new CEO as "mutual."

Kenneth Cole, who founded the firm in 1982, will take on Granoff’s duties temporarily as the search for a new CEO begins.

BETHPAGE, N.Y. — New York-based supermarket retailer King Kullen announced that it is partnering with NuVal to provide customers with better insight of what foods they should be eating.

NuVal's nutrition scoring system — in which store items receive a NuVal score from 1 to 100, making it easy for consumers to compare the overall nutrition of the foods they buy at a glance — will be implemented in all of King Kullen's stores, which are located throughout Long Island and Staten Island.

CINCINNATI — Kroger has announced the appointment of Cindy Holmes to director of investor relations and Carin Fike to director and assistant treasurer. Both changes will be effective March 6.

Fike will report to Kroger's treasurer, Scott Henderson; Holmes will report to Kroger's CFO, Michael Schlotman.

Holmes, 42, began her career with Kroger in 1990 in the information systems and services department, and for the past 10 years, she has served as the company's assistant treasurer.