Marketing

Minerco Resources, parent company of Level 5 Beverage Company, has appointed beverage executive Darin Ezra to Level 5’s board of directors.

Ezra will take a leadership role in both the tactical and strategic direction of the company. He has more than 15 years of experience in the packaged consumer goods industry.

Ezra co-founded Power Brands Consulting in 2006 and serves as its CEO. Power Brands has been party to the development of more than 500 beverage brands.

The Fresh Market experienced an unanticipated sales slowdown across its store base, which it attributes to changing economic conditions and softening consumer confidence. Despite the slowdown, the company’s comparable-store sales grew and its gross margin expanded.

Leading global beauty company Coty has announced that OPI founder and CEO George Schaeffer plans to retire. Schaeffer will continue to work with OPI's management team through a newly created role as OPI's strategic board adviser.

Schaeffer founded OPI in 1981 and has grown the brand’s portfolio of shades to more than 400. After more than 30 years of leading OPI, Schaeffer will focus on the Schaeffer Family Foundation and multiple charities that support health-related causes and children's education.

Hampstead, Md. – Jos. A. Bank is attempting to get a jump on the many retailers starting their Black Friday sales on Thanksgiving by offering a “Super Tuesday” sale event on Tuesday, Nov. 26. The retailer will offer Black Friday prices on select “doorbuster” items in its 571 company-owned full-line stores nationwide.

In addition, these select doorbuster items will be offered online at Josbank.com beginning at 12:01 a.m. (EST) on November 26, 2013, and there will be other special one-day price discounts.

Phoenix – PetSmart reported a 12% increase in net income, to $92 million from $82 million a year earlier, during the third quarter of 2013. Total sales grew about 4%, to $1.69 billion from $1.62 billion, while same-store sales increased 2.7%.

Looking ahead, PetSmart predicts same-store sales growth of 3%-3.5% and total sales growth of approximately 3% for fiscal 2013. For the fourth quarter of fiscal 2013, PetSmart forecasts same-store sales growth of 2.5%-3.5% and a 2%-3% decrease in total sales.

Southfield, Mich. – Shopper marketing agency Mars Advertising is partnering with digital creative agency Nomadic Agency to collaboratively identify and strategically integrate omni-channel solutions to continue providing enhanced shopper value throughout the path to purchase.

Minerco Resources announced that Level 5 Beverage Co. has acquired VitaminFizz, a low-calorie, vitamin-enriched soda that was developed by Power Brands Consulting. VitaminFizz was extensively tested in the market in 2011, but the launch was delayed while efforts were focused on other consumer brands.

Kirkland’s plans to continue investing in its e-commerce business and anticipates executing a more aggressive approach to store growth, following strong third-quarter results.

The company reported net sales for the third quarter ended Nov. 2 of $106.1 million, a 9.8% increase from $96.7 million for the year-ago quarter. Comparable-store sales, including e-commerce sales, for the quarter increased 4.9% compared with a decrease of 4.7% in the year-ago quarter.