Marketing

Warrendale, Pa. -- rue21 announced that Stacy B. Siegal, the company's current VP, general counsel and corporate secretary, has been promoted to the additional position of chief administrative officer.

Siegal has served as the company's general counsel and corporate secretary since March 2010. In her expanded role, she will assume responsibility for human resources division while also retaining oversight of the company's legal matters, regulatory compliance and corporate communications.

New York -- The ax has fallen — again — at J.C. Penney Co. The retailer laid off approximately 2,200 employees in its stores and district offices on Wednesday, The Dallas Morning News reported.

The majority of the staff cuts occurred in some 100 stores that had significant sales declines last year, spokeswoman Daphne Avilla said in the report, with Penney adjusting the employee count to match each store’s new level of business.

NEW YORK — JCPenney Co. continues to dominate the retail news as its shares dropped 10.6% yesterday to a four-year low after reports that one of its largest shareholders had sold a chunk of the troubled company’s stock. And in a late afternoon report, The Wall Street Journal said that a group of Penney directors is ready to get rid of CEO Ron Johnson, or push to sell the chain unless he can stop the company’s heavy bleeding this year.

NEW YORK — The board of directors of the International Licensing Industry Merchandisers’ Association (LIMA) has selected Bernard Leifer, president and CEO of The SG Companies, for induction into the LIMA Licensing Industry Hall of Fame.  

The induction will take place at the annual LIMA Awards Ceremony on June 18, 2013 during the industry’s main event, Licensing Expo 2013, in Las Vegas.

SPARKS, Md. — McCormick announced that Chuck Langmead has been promoted to president of global industrial. In his new role, Langmead will help McCormick drive sales growth by aligning its customer intimacy efforts and driving its strategy consistently across McCormick's industrial businesses worldwide.

PITTSBURGH — American Eagle Outfitters reported adjusted fiscal year 2012 earnings for the 53 weeks ended February 2, 2013 of $1.39 per share, a 43% increase from fiscal year 2011 adjusted earnings of 97 cents per share for the 52 weeks ended January 28, 2012. 

CHICAGO — Schawk, a provider of brand development and deployment services, enabling companies of all sizes to connect their brands with consumers, announced that it has appointed Jackie DeLise to the position of vice president of business development.  

Dallas -- The current trial involving Martha Stewart, J.C. Penney Co. and Macy's could seriously damage the value of the Martha Stewart brand, according to litigation media relations and crisis management expert David Margulies, president of Marguilies Communications Group.

"Even if the court rules in her favor the perception will be that Stewart stabbed a longtime loyal business partner in the back,” he said. “The public looks at legal issues from a point of fairness rather than from the specific legal issues involved.”

Boca Raton, Fla. -- Office Depot announced that the company’s global headquarters, located in Boca Raton, Fla., has earned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star certification for the second consecutive year. The certification signifies the building performs in the top 25% of similar facilities nationwide for energy efficiency.

MOORESVILLE, N.C. — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has named Lowe’s winner of the Energy Star Partner of the Year – Sustained Excellence Award for the fourth consecutive year. The 2013 award recognizes Lowe’s long-standing leadership as a retailer of energy-efficient appliances and products. Lowe’s will receive the EPA’s most prestigious honor at a ceremony in Washington, D.C., on March 26.