International Business

New York -- Brooks Brothers today announced that Mary Pytko has joined the company as its new executive VP of global human resources.

Pytko has held leadership roles at companies including American Express and Lord & Taylor. Most recently she was senior VP, human resources at the Thomson Reuters Corporation.

New product launches in key categories and strong marketing helped Newell Rubbermaid gain market share during the company’s third quarter.

The leading consumer goods company said sales for the period ended September 30, grew a modest 2.1% to $1.5 billion while net income, aided by the sale of the company’s hardware business, increased to $193.3 million, or 66 cents a share, from $108.3 million, or 37 cents a share.

San Diego – Petco has opened its first store in Mexico and announced plans for continued expansion in Mexico and Latin America through a previously announced joint venture with Grupo Gigante of Mexico. Together, the companies plan to open as many as 50 Petco stores in Mexico and Latin America by 2020.

It was steady as she goes at Procter & Gamble during the company’s first quarter as the nation’s largest consumer packaged goods company generated sales and profits that met expectations.
Sales increased 2% to $21.2 billion and net income increased 8% to slightly more than $3 billion, or $1.04 a share, from $2.8 billion, or 96 cents a share.

Shanghai, China -- The Walt Disney Co. announced plans to open its first store in mainland China, in Shanghai. The 53,000-sq.-ft. Disney Store, expected to open in early 2015, will be the company’s largest store to date.

The store will be located in Shanghai's financial hub. It will feature an approximate 10,800-sq.-ft. retail space, and a Disney-themed outdoor plaza area that can be used to host outdoor events. The surrounding area has foot traffic of more than 40 million visitors a year.

Bentonville, Ark. – Wal-Mart Stores plans to open as many as 110 stores in China between 2014 and 2016, as well as several new Sam’s Club locations there. The new stores will employ as many as 19,000 people.

New York -- Sephora announced Thursday that Calvin McDonald has been named president and CEO of Sephora Americas, effective Jan. 1, 2014.

McDonald, who previously served as president and CEO of Sears Canada, succeeds David Suliteanu.

Suliteanu, who has helmed Sephora Americas since July 2000, will become CEO of Kendo Brands, which is owned by Sephora's parent, LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SA.

Less than two weeks after announcing plans to reduce overall international capital expenditures, top Walmart executives were telling a different story in China this week.

At a press event in Beijing, Walmart CEO Mike Duke and Walmart China CEO Greg Foran said the company planned to opening as many as 110 new facilities during the next three years including stores in China’s smaller cities while also closing up to 9% of its 397 units and remodeling 165 stores.