Marketing

Tampa, Fla. -- Burger 21, founded by the owners of The Melting Pot Restaurants, has executed its first franchise agreement in Michigan, under which a debut restaurant in Ann Arbor will open summer 2015.

Additionally, the company signed two franchise agreements for single units in Ocala, Florida, and Raleigh, North Carolina. The new deals are part of the fast-casual concept's growth strategy to expand its presence in new and existing markets nationwide.

To date, Burger 21 has 13 open locations and 25 franchised restaurants in development.

Former Ahold and CVS executive Paula Price is the newest member of the Dollar General board of directors.

She joins the board of the 11,500 store retailer at a pivotal time. Dollar General is in the midst of a search for a top executive to succeed Rick Dreiling who has indicated he will step down next year and two of the company’s arch rivals, Dollar Tree and Family Dollar, have announced plans to merge.

Hudson, Ohio – Travis Smith has resigned as president and CEO of Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores. Until a replacement has been identified, Jim Kerr, executive VP and CFO, will serve as Interim CEO of the company, while continuing in his current role as CFO.

The board of directors is undertaking a comprehensive search to identify a replacement. In his role as interim CEO, Kerr will partner with Riddi Kline, executive VP of marketing and merchandising, and Tom Williams, executive VP of operations and HR, to manage the business.

Bebida Beverage Company (BeBevCo), a developer, manufacturer and marketer of relaxation and energy products, is rolling out its flagship beverage, KOMA Unwind Liquid Relaxation, at select 7-Eleven stores in the Quad Cities.

Montreal – Canadian grocery retailer Metro Inc. reported medium results for its third quarter fiscal 2014. Net earnings for third quarter 2014 were $144.5 million, an increase of 0.1% from net earnings of $144.4 million for the same quarter of 2013.

Profitero, a leading global provider of online insights and e-commerce intelligence for retailers and brands, has appointed Raj Khathuria as VP of sales for North America.

Khathuria has more than 17 years of sales management experience. He previously led the North American sales operation for MarkMonitor, a global leader in online brand protection (acquired by Thomson Reuters in 2012), where he was responsible for growth in key vertical markets including consumer goods, luxury apparel and electronics.

Pittsburgh -- GNC Holdings, Inc.’s board of directors has authorized a multi-year program to repurchase up to an aggregate $500 million of the company's Class A common stock. The authorization is effective immediately and replaces GNC’s previous authorization, which had approximately $250 million remaining.  

The repurchases are expected to take place over the next 24 months.

Hudson, Ohio – Travis Smith has resigned as president and CEO of Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores. Until a replacement has been identified, Jim Kerr, executive VP and CFO, will serve as Interim CEO of the company, while continuing in his current role as CFO.

The board of directors is undertaking a comprehensive search to identify a replacement. In his role as interim CEO, Kerr will partner with Riddi Kline, executive VP of marketing and merchandising, and Tom Williams, executive VP of operations and HR, to manage the business.