Marketing

SAN FRANCISCO — Williams-Sonoma has launched a new, direct-to-consumer brand, Mark and Graham, which specializes in personalized gifts and accessories.

The Mark and Graham line will feature home decor, small leather goods and seasonal items that can be personalized with a choice of more than 50 custom monograms and creative type treatments. The brand will offer its products through an exclusive direct mail catalog and an e-commerce website Markandgraham.com.

Bentonville, Ark. -- Walmart will opens its stores at 8 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day, two hours earlier than a year ago. The retailer is also guaranteeing shoppers that it will have three of the most popular items it sells if they line up inside the store during a one-hour event that day.

Woonsocket, R.I. — CVS/pharmacy on Thursday expanded the role of two retail field executives as senior VP operations Dennis Palmer, a 37-year retail veteran, announced his retirement.

Effective Nov. 5, Hanley Wheeler, SVP operations has assumed responsibility of CVS/pharmacy’s Western and Southwestern markets while continuing to have responsibility for the company’s retail operations in its Midwest and Southeast markets.

San Francisco -- Williams-Sonoma said Thursday it has launched a new direct-to-consumer gifts and accessories brand called Mark and Graham. The brand will debut with its own direct mail catalog and website.

WAYNE, N.J. — Toys"R"Us has partnered with Canada’s leading maternity fashion brand Thyme Maternity to provide its Babies"R"Us customers across the United States with a new collection of maternity apparel and accessories. The collection is available at www.Babiesrus.com and is scheduled to be featured in approximately 150 Babies"R"Us stores nationwide in the coming weeks.

PURCHASE, N.Y. — The Stop & Shop Supermarket Company LLC and its parent company Ahold USA have donated $2.5 million to the American Red Cross to support Hurricane Sandy cleanup and recovery efforts. The money, which came from the companies and their charitable foundation, Our Family Foundation, will mainly go to the hardest hit areas in New Jersey, New York and Connecticut. Stop & Shop has also designated stores in New York and New Jersey as drop-off points for canned and packaged food.

By Dr. Trevor Davis, [email protected]

New York -- Stuart Weitzman said Thursday that it has promoted Susan Duffy from senior VP global marketing to the position of chief marketing officer, as part of the luxury retailer’s plan for new market expansion.

As CMO, Duffy is charged with leading marketing, advertising, public relations and social media to ensure the branding message is consistent across all worldwide communications platforms.