Marketing

MINNEAPOLIS — General Mills has expanded its portfolio in Brazil with the acquisition of Yoki Alimentos.

“Today marks a new beginning for General Mills in Brazil,” said Sean Walker, General Mills SVPand president of its Latin America region. “Yoki has fantastic brands that have nourished Brazilian families for decades. We are honored that the family owners of Yoki are entrusting us with this fabulous business and its 5,300 people. We are poised to accelerate our growth in Brazil.”

Wayne Lutomski has joined Welch’s as vice president of the brand’s international division.

Welch's, the leading marketer of Concord and Niagara grape-based products, named Lutomski to the position following the retirement of Bill Hewins who spent 30 years with Welch’s.

PALO ALTO, Calif. — Retail shopping app, Shopkick has named Alexis Rask as its new VP and general manager brand partnerships. As the head of Shopkick's newest business unit, Rask is tasked with leading and further developing shopkick's relationship with major brands in the CPG, consumer electronics, entertainment, toy/game, financial services and automotive verticals.

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — Big 5 Sporting Goods is seeing the positive effects of its merchandising and marketing strategies, with its first positive quarterly comps increase since the third quarter of 2010. The company reported a same-store sales gain of 1% for its 2012 second quarter ended July 1.

NAPERVILLE, Ill. — With new clothes and supplies topping the list of what most parents are shopping for during back-to-school season, it makes sense that OfficeMax and Old Navy would join forces to maximize their offerings, delivering savings for customers and sales for them.

DODGEVILLE, Wis. — Lands’ End has named Michael Rosera as chief operating and finance officer. In his role he is responsible for accounting, financial reporting, legal, information technology and integrated company planning. As the leader of finance and operations and a member of the executive team, Rosera reports directly to Edgar Huber, CEO and president of Lands’ End.

LAKELAND, Fla. — Publix sales grew $6.8 billion in the second quarter, a 3.2% increase from $6.6 billion for the same period last year. Same-store sales rose 1.9%.

Net earnings took a slight hit, declining 0.2%, to $381.6 million from $382.4 million in 2011. However, earnings per share for the second quarter increased to 49 cents for 2012, up from 48 cents per share in 2011.

Target is engaging Facebook to help determine how half of a $5 million back-to-school donation is allocated.

The retailer plans to donate $5 million to schools as part of its “Give With Target” initiative this fall. The two-part giving campaign provides $2.5 million in grants to in-need schools, as well as up to $2.5 million in Target GiftCards to local schools through votes on Target’s Facebook page.

Orlando, Fla. -- Darden Restaurants reduced restaurant water usage by 17% on an aggregate basis between fiscal years 2008 and 2011, exceeding its 2015 goal of reducing water consumption in each of its restaurants by 15% on aggregate and is more than half way toward meeting the same goal for reducing energy consumption in its restaurants, according to the company’s second annual sustainability report.

The Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) has taken issue with an opinion piece that appears in the August 1, 2012, issue of the Wall Street Journal. The piece, written by United States Senator Jim DeMint (R-SC), is about the Marketplace Fairness Act (the legislation would end special treatment for online-only retailers who currently exploit a decade’s old loophole to avoid collecting and remitting state sales tax, according to RILA).