Marketing

NEW YORK — Fortune has released its 2012 list of the most admired companies, and it should come as no surprise that Apple topped the list. Even with the passing of Steve Jobs, the company didn't miss a beat delivering products that are still in high demand, increasing sales and delivering soaring profits for its investors.

Also on the list were a number of retailers including third-ranked Amazon.com, 20th-ranked Costco Wholesale, 24th-ranked Wal-Mart Stores, 25th-ranked Target, 28th-ranked Whole Foods Market and 41st ranked eBay.

WASHINGTON — The National Retail Federation has appointed a new VP communications.

Effective Apr. 9, Katie Wilson will be responsible for overseeing NRF’s industry efforts, a multitude of communication vehicles and advancing NRF advocacy priorities on issues important to the retail community, NRF said. She will assume many of the responsibilities of Ellen Davis, who was recently named NRF SVP and executive director of the NRF Foundation.

Philadelphia -- The trustees of Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust (“PREIT”) announced that Joseph F. Coradino will become CEO of the company as of the company’s annual meeting on June 7, succeeding Ronald Rubin, who will serve as executive chairman.

Coradino has been with PREIT and a predecessor company for three decades, serving since 2004 as president of PREIT Services, LLC and PREIT-Rubin, Inc., and as a member of the office of the chairman. He has been a trustee of PREIT since 2006.

OAKLAND, Calif. — Increased cutomer traffic and average ticket, helped drive comps at Cost Plus up 7.6% for the fourth quarter of 2011 on top of a 7.7% increase from the fourth quarter of last year. The company reported that net sales for the quarter were $364.3 million, a 6.7% increase compared with $341.6 million for the fourth quarter of last year. 

New York -- 7-Eleven Inc. plans to open 15 to 20 stores this year in the Jacksonville, Fla., market and 80 locations by 2015, according to the Florida Times-Union.

New Orleans -- Covington, La.-based Stirling Properties announced that urban shopping center development Mid-City Market has broken ground in New Orleans, along the North Carrollton Avenue commercial corridor.
 
Opening in early 2013, Mid-City Market will complement the proposed Lafitte Greenway pedestrian and bicycle pathway that will border the shopping center.  

CINCINNATI — Paul Varga, chairman and CEO of Brown-Forman Corp., has been elected to the Macys Inc. board of directors.

WAYNE, N.J. — The decision to open fewer Express stores during the 2011 holiday selling season, along with a decline in comparable-store sales both in the United States and internationally, contributed to Toys“R”Us's fourth-quarter net sales decline of $47 million to $5.9 billion. On a positive note, the company's new ventures in Greater China and Southeast Asia have offset the sales decline.