Marketing

Dallas -- Zale Corp. announced that Ken Brumfield has been appointed senior VP financial products. In this role, he will be responsible for all customer financing, warranty, insurance and repair product offerings.

Ridgefield, Conn. -- Impact Service Group, a national HVAC service management company for retailers and multi-location clients, has hired Teresa Pitts as VP national sales.

Previously, she managed the southern region for Chain Store Maintenance where she was responsible for cultivating and maintaining national accounts.

New York City -- Ann Inc. said that the president of its Ann Taylor brand, Christine Beauchamp, is leaving to pursue other opportunities. She will be replaced by Brian Lynch, who had been president of the Ann Taylor Factory and Loft Outlet divisions and led the website sales for those brands.

The news came as the chain cut its revenue prediction for the quarter that ended in January to a level below analyst expectations, citing slumping sales at its Ann Taylor stores. 

Cincinnati -- Macy’s Inc. announced that Peter Sachse, the company's chief marketing officer and chairman of Macys.com, will succeed Ron Klein as chief stores officer, effective Feb. 13. Klein will retire from Macy's effective March 31, after 36 years with the company.

Martine Reardon, executive VP marketing, will succeed Sachse as Macy’s chief marketing officer, effective Feb. 13.

Little Rock, Ark. -- Dillard’s said Wednesday it has made a strategic investment in e-commerce company Acumen Brands in a move toward enhancing the department store retailer’s website dillards.com, as well as Acumen’s 12 e-commerce sites.

Boston -- A report released Wednesday by Boston Consulting Group said that, while 96% of companies are using Facebook and 83% are using Twitter, few have an overall marketing strategy that incorporates digital and includes clear metrics for success.

The report, Marketing Capabilities for the Digital Age, presents the findings of a BCG survey of marketing executives at 31 major corporations globally and presents an overview of the digital landscape.

SEATTLE — Amazon.com enjoyed tremendous sales growth in the fourth quarter, but it came at a steep price as expenses grew faster than sales due to investments to support future growth.

Portland, Ore. -- Fred Meyer Jewelers, the nation’s third-largest fine jewelry retailer, announced the launch of mobile websites for its namesake and Littman Jewelers brand. The sites are optimized for mobile devices including iPhone and Android smartphones.

Fred Meyer Jewelers has partnered with Moovweb to create the mobile enabled websites. The mobile websites serve as a complement to the regular sites with functional ecommerce capability.