Marketing

WAYNE, N.J. — Toys"R"Us has enhanced its loyalty program with the launch of an all-new integrated, point-based system that delivers streamlined benefits for members, as well as new and existing "R"Uscredit card holders.

MINNEAPOLIS — Food distribution company Nash Finch has named Gary Spinazze as chair of the NFC Foundation for a two-year term. The NFC Foundation is the charitable giving arm of Nash Finch. Board member Paula Docken, business analyst, chair of the community outreach committee was named as chair elect.

DALLAS — Davaco, a provider of turnkey implementation solutions for national brands, has named Tim Currier VP business development.  In this role, Currier is responsible for identifying new business opportunities and building strategic partnerships with nationwide retail, restaurant and hospitality brands. He reports to Paul Hamer, EVP business development for Davaco

MINNEAPOLIS — Best Buy, which at its recent shareholders' meeting said it would offer more technology services, has announced that it is expanding the Best Buy Mobile brand and store-within-a-store concept into 14 Five Star stores throughout Nanjing, China, this summer.

The expansion of Best Buy Mobile into the Chinese market is the first evolution of Global Connect, a partnership that was formed in November 2011 between Best Buy and Carphone Warehouse.

Woonsocket, R.I. -- CVS Caremark has announced the appointment of Stephen Gold as chief information officer.

Gold, who joins CVS Caremark on July 9, will focus on bringing new and differentiating technology solutions to the company's retail and pharmacy benefit management businesses.

Gold joins CVS Caremark from Avaya, where he held the position of CIO. Prior to that, he served as the CIO and chief technology officer for the e-commerce solutions provider GSI Commerce.
 

I mentioned briefly in my last column that I’ve been a little puzzled by what seems to be an industry-wide reluctance to design and develop, and in many cases redevelop centers into, true mixed-use venues. It’s not that our industry doesn’t get excited about mixed-use spaces — they clearly do. But, something is getting lost between the glamorous articles and design concepts, and the real-world execution.

Dallas -- SRS Real Estate Partners said it has named Adam Gerry as a first VP in the Orlando, Fla., office.

Before joining SRS, Gerry was VP sales and leasing for J. Wayne Miller Co., an Orlando-based principal, development and brokerage firm.
 

Washington, D.C. -- The Conference Board, in its monthly sentiment index released on Wednesday, said that confidence among U.S. consumers dropped in June for a fourth consecutive month, reaching a five-month low.

The research firm’s sentiment index fell to 62, from a revised 64.4 in May. The slide in confidence raises the risk that the recently revealed slowdown in hiring will cause households to curb spending.

The median forecast of 69 economists surveyed by Bloomberg News projected the U.S. confidence index would fall to 63.

Spartanburg, S.C. -- Denny's Corp. said Wednesday that it has opened its first restaurant in the Dominican Republic as part of a development agreement with Grupo Nahas, which owns and operates the Intercontinental Hotel and Holiday Inn, among others, in Santo Domingo. 

Located in the Food Court of the Las Americas International Airport in Santo Domingo, the new restaurant represents Denny's first airport location worldwide.

HERMOSA BEACH, Calif. — Virtual Piggy, a provider of a technology platform that allows children to shop online in a parent-controlled environment, has formed agreements with sports retailers Spyder Surf and Tahoe Mountain Sports.