Labor & Employment

JAKKS Pacific Inc., appointed Carmine Russo president of its international division with responsibility for growing international sales and overseeing marketing, advertising, promotions and distribution operations across all product divisions.
 

Bentonville, Ark. -- Wal-Mart Stores announced that its board of directors has nominated Marissa A. Mayer of Google Inc., for election as a new member of the company’s board at Walmart’s Annual Shareholders’ Meeting on June 1, 2012. If elected, Mayer would become the sixteenth member of the board.

Minneapolis -- Supervalu on Monday announced three new executive appointments following the departure of Sue Klug, president of its Albertsons Southern California division.

Dan Sanders has been tapped to head Albertsons Southern California, Keith Wyche will lead Acme and Brian Audette has been named president at Cub Foods.

Replacing Klug will be Sanders, current president of Supervalu's Acme Markets division, based in Philadelphia. Sanders joined Acme in 2010 from United Supermarkets, Lubbock, Texas, where he served as CEO.

BENTONVILLE, Ark. — Significant waste reduction and greater use of renewable energy are detailed in Walmart’s just-released fifth annual Global Responsibility Report (GRR). Entitled “Beyond 50 Years: Building a Sustainable Future,” the report highlights the chain’s global top 10 list of achievements to reduce its impact on the environment, improve efficiency in its supply chain and stores, and address social issues.

Bentonville, Ark. -- Significant waste reduction and greater use of renewable energy are detailed in Walmart’s just-released fifth annual Global Responsibility Report (GRR). Entitled “Beyond 50 Years: Building a Sustainable Future,” the report highlights the chain’s global top 10 list of achievements to reduce its impact on the environment, improve efficiency in its supply chain and stores, and address social issues.

Editor’s Note: Chain Store Age’s 23rd annual survey of Fastest-Growing Managers measures new domestic and international third-party management and leasing contracts obtained during the preceding calendar year (2011).

Now more than ever, retail real estate is not a business to be conducted without forethought. The days of gut instincts and seat-of-the-pants decisions have been replaced by the need to plan far ahead to guarantee a company’s continued growth.

DALLAS — Neiman Marcus has named Michael Kingston SVP, CIO of The Neiman Marcus Group. He succeeds Phillip Maxwell, who earlier this month announced his retirement.

Kingston joins The Neiman Marcus Group from Ann Inc., parent company of Ann Taylor, where he was the EVP enterprise transformation and technology. Prior to Ann Inc., Kingston was VP applications at Coach Inc. and international director information services at LVMH.

Minneapolis -- Best Buy on Saturday announced the locations of the 50 stores that it is closing this year, including seven in California, six in Illinois and six in the company’s home state of Minnesota. The chain has already closed two locations: one in Missouri and one in Arizona.

Most of the remaining 48 stores will close by May 12, with three stores scheduled to close this summer.