Marketing

Toano, Va. – Lumber Liquidators reported impressive gains in net income and sales during the second quarter of fiscal 2013. Net income rose almost 68% to $20.4 million from $12.2 million in the second quarter of the previous year, while net sales grew 22% to $257.1 million from $210.3 million.

Same-store sales increased 14.9%, driven by a 9.1% increase in the number of customers invoiced and a 5.4% increase in the average sale.  

AUSTIN, Minn. — Hormel Foods Corporation has announced the advancement of Thomas R. Day, group VP, foodservice, to group VP, refrigerated foods.

As a result of the move, Deanna T. Brady, VP of sales, foodservice, will advance to group VP, foodservice, and Mark J. Ourada, foodservice regional sales manager, will advance to VP of sales, foodservice. These advancements will become effective Oct. 28.

Eden Prairie, Minn. -- Supervalu has named Bruce Besanko as the company’s executive VP and CFO, effective Aug. 7. Besanko joins Supervalu after serving as executive VP of finance, CFO and CAO for OfficeMax since 2009.

Veteran CPG industry executive Richard Lenny was named chairman of the board at Information Resources, Inc., filling the position previously held by Lawrence Benjamin who will remain on the board.

Lenny previously served as chairman, president and CEO of The Hershey Company and also served as group vice president of Kraft Food and president of Nabisco Biscuit and Snacks. Prior to that he was president of Pillsbury, North America and spent 18 years with Kraft prior to that.

New York -- Paul Rutenis, the top buyer for J.C. Penney's newly made-over home department, has left the company, according to a report by Citigroup.  

According to Citigroup analyst Deborah Weinswig, the prices of many of the home items have reduced consumer demand.

In related news, Penney has decided not to renew its contracts with marketing consultants Sergio Zyman and Jeff Herbert, which expire this month, Weinseig noted.  

Naperville, Ill. – OfficeMax Inc. is promoting Deb O’Connor, senior VP of finance and chief administrative officer, to interim CFO. She will replace Bruce Besanko, executive VP and CFO, who will leave the company to become the executive VP and CFO of Supervalu Inc. His last day at OfficeMax will be Aug. 6. A five-year veteran of OfficeMax, O'Connor previously served as senior VP and controller of the ServiceMaster Company.

Flooring specialist Lumber Liquidators reported a 14.9% second quarter same store sales increase and became the latest company to benefit from a resurgent housing and home improvement market.

Lumber Liquidators, operator of 300 stores, said total sales increased 22.2% to $257.1 million from $210.3 million during the second quarter ended June 30. Gross margins expanded to 41.3% from 37.3%, reflective of a reduced sourcing costs, higher prices and improved operational efficiencies, which translated to significant profit growth. Net income surged 67.7% to $20.4 million.

Grand Rapids, Mich. -- Meijer will open its first supercenter in the city of Detroit, at the Gateway Marketplace shopping center, on July 25. The 190,000-sq.-ft. store will include fresh produce and a full-service, drive-thru pharmacy walk-in health screenings, immunizations and specially trained diabetes-care pharmacists.