Labor & Employment

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. - Sears Holdings' SVP procurement and finance has been promoted.

Deidra Cheeks Merriwether now holds the title of SVP and president retail services, succeeding James Haworth. In this role, Merriwether, who joined the corporation in 2001, will be responsible for the oversight and leadership of retail services for the broadline retailer's Kmart and Sears stores.

Merriwether currently serves as a member of Sears Canada's board of directors and is the executive sponsor of the company's African-American Associate Network.

London -- A Tuesday report by the Financial Times said that Andy Bond, former CEO of Asda, has left his post of part-time chairman of the United Kingdom’s second biggest supermarket by market share, a position that he has held for less than a year.

The report also said that Bond will leave Walmart as well, which owns Asda, once its $2.4 billion deal to acquire a majority stake in South Africa’s Massmart is complete around the end of March.

Chicago -- Claire's Stores announced the appointment of Jay Friedman as president of the North American Division, reporting to Gene Kahn, CEO effective immediately.

Friedman joins Claire's from Jones Apparel Group where he was most recently president, and CEO, Jones Retail Corp., Nine West Group.

Hoffman Estates, Ill. -- Sears Holdings Corp. said Tuesday that it has named Lana Cain Krauter as senior VP and president of its Sears Apparel division. Effective Feb. 1, she will lead the charge in growing the division both in-store and online.

Krauter was previously president and chief merchandising officer for Bealls Department Stores.

She will be based in San Francisco.

By Richard P. Edwards, [email protected]

Real estate portfolio optimization has become standard practice for retailers and, in the current environment, store closings often outnumber openings. In many cases, closing stores is a proactive move. For instance, healthy retailers strengthen their positions by closing under-performing stores and relocating stores within a market is an ongoing process when retailers review leases up for renewal or look to improve their position in the area.

New York City -- On the heels of Monday’s announcement that Borders Group is delaying payments to some of its vendors, the bookseller said Tuesday that two senior-level executives have departed.

Thomas Carney, general counsel, and D. Scott Laverty, chief information officer, both resigned from their posts Monday evening.

The news was disclosed in a Securities and Exchange Commission filing Monday. Borders told the Wall Street Journal that the departures were part of its previously disclosed efforts to improve liquidity.

GOODLETTSVILLE, Tenn. - Dollar General announced that in addition to opening 625 new stores in fiscal 2011, it intends to create 6,000 new jobs. 

“Bringing our store model of convenience and value to more people in more states is an exciting opportunity for us,” said Rick Dreiling, Dollar General’s chairman and CEO. “We believe the new communities and states we are entering will benefit from the new jobs, shopping choices and dedication to community found at Dollar General.“

SUNBURY, Pa. - Weis Markets has announced that it has lowered the prices on 2,400 staple items, and that it will freeze the prices of these products for 90 days through April 2. 

Retailers who report monthly sales are set to report their best December results in several years this Thursday assuming preseason forecasts and in-season upward revisions prove accurate. Total holiday sales are forecast to increase in the low- to mid-single digits, and Thursday’s monthly results from the likes of Target, Macy’s, Kohl’s, TJX and others will offer an indication of how good a season it was.

New York City -- Borders Group is delaying payments to some of its vendors, a company spokeswoman said on Thursday. The news came just weeks after the company said it was trying to obtain new financing to avoid violating the terms of its credit agreements early next year.

"As part of this potential refinancing, Borders has determined that it is necessary to restructure its vendor financing arrangements and is delaying payments to certain of its vendors," Borders spokeswoman Mary Davis said by phone, in a Reuters report.