Labor & Employment

Lowe’s has appointed Michael P. McDermott to the newly created position of SVP and general merchandising manager-building and maintenance.

McDermott will be responsible for the Lumber & Building Materials, Millwork, Hardware & Tools and Rough Plumbing & Electrical divisions. He will report to chief merchandising officer Michael A. Jones.

NORTHFIELD, Ill. — Kraft Foods Group has appointed former Procter & Gamble executive Teri List-Stoll as the company's SVP of finance, succeeding current CFO Timothy McLevish in the first quarter of 2014.

Mooresville, N.C. -- Lowe’s Companies announced that Michael P. McDermott will join the company as senior VP and general merchandising manager- building and maintenance, a new position.

McDermott will be responsible for the lumber & building materials, millwork, hardware & tools and rough plumbing & electrical divisions. He will report to chief merchandising officer, Michael A. Jones.

New York -- The Kroger Co. will stop providing health insurance benefits for spouses on January 1, 2014, according to a recent agreement with several unions, Indiana Public Media reported.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Fred's experienced growth in sales, customer traffic, average ticket and gross margin for the second quarter ended Aug. 3.

The company’s net income for the quarter was $3.3 million, or $0.09 per diluted share, compared with net income of $6.1 million, or $0.17 per diluted share, in the year-earlier period. However, the prior-year quarter included a benefit of approximately $4 million, or $0.11 per diluted share, for favorable tax credits. 

As if competing against Target, Best Buy and Amazon.com isn’t challenging enough, nationwide the fast-food “strike” which took place Thursday offered a glimpse of the type of headline-grabbing, disruptive activities Walmart can expect from its opponents this holiday season.

NEW YORK — Avon Products appointed Brian Salsberg as SVP of global strategy, effective Sept. 23. Salsberg will report to Sheri McCoy, Avon's CEO, and will join the company's executive committee.

Walmart will be making a progressing move and extending health insurance benefits to same-sex domestic partners of its U.S. employees starting next year, according to a Reuters report. 

The report stated that the retailer will also offer vision care to its eligible employees and their dependents.