Finance & Capital Management

NAPERVILLE, Ill. — OfficeMax has named a new executive to lead its merchandising initiatives including category management, strategic product planning, global sourcing, private label expansion and cost of goods sold. The company anounced that  Ronald Lalla has been named EVP, chief merchandising officer, effective Monday, March 19. He will report to Michael Lewis, EVP, president retail.

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. — Select Sears hometown dealer stores and Sears Hardware stores were the latest to hit the chopping block at Sears Holdings, as the company continues to implement plans to reduce expenses. The company revealed in a Wednesday document that it will close 43 Sears hometown dealer stores and 10 Sears Hardware stores over the first half of 2012.

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. — Select Sears hometown dealer stores and Sears Hardware stores were the latest to hit the chopping block at Sears Holdings, as the company continues to implement plans to reduce expenses. The company revealed in a Wednesday document that it will close 43 Sears hometown dealer stores and 10 Sears Hardware stores over the first half of 2012.

NORTHFIELD, Ill. — Kraft Foods has nominated two candidates to serve on the company's board of directors.

New Canaan Conn. -- Gridiron Capital, LLC, in partnership with the founder and existing  management team of Quality Sollutions Inc. announced the acquisition of QSI.

St. Louis -- Panera Bread Co. announced that founder and executive chairman, Ron Shaich, and president and CEO, Bill Moreton, will become co-CEOs, effective immediately.

The announcement formalizes a relationship that has evolved over the last year and is a reflection of the way in which Shaich and Moreton have been operating as partners, the company said.

Each individual's formal title will be as follows: Ron Shaich, chairman of the board and co-CEO; Bill Moreton, president and co-CEO.

New York -- The average gift card dollar volume growth on a year-over-year basis increased 10% during the last six months of 2011, with consumers shopping earlier in the holiday season for prepaid cards and adding more value to their purchases than in 2010, according to a study by First Data Corp.

Norwell, Mass. -- An energy project undertaken for The Stop & Shop Supermarket Co. by Bluestone Energy Services has been recognized as the Best Multi-Site Retail Energy Program in New England by the Association of Energy Engineers New England (AEENE).

PLEASANTON, Calif. — Ross Stores continues to deliver on consumers' demands for value and delivered a profitable fourth quarter that met Wall Street expectations. The company reported that profit for the quarter ended Jan. 28 rose 19% to $192 million, from $161.8 million last year. 

Sales surged almost 12% to $2.4 billion, and same-store sales increased 7%.

For the full year, Ross reported a net income rise of 18% to $657.2 million. Sales increased 9% to $8.6 billion, with same-store sales up 5%.

As Walmart CFO Charles Holley noted recently during an investor conference, the company was pleased with its February sales. Unseasonably warm weather surely played a role as did a surge in promotional activity which seems oddly inconsistent with the company’s renewed emphasis every day low prices. The number of ad pages increased 58% to 41 total pages compared to 26 the prior year, according to promotional research firm Market Track.