Marketing

Boston -- Gordon Brothers Group announced that Gary M. Talarico joined the firm as president and CEO reporting to the Board of Directors. Michael Frieze will assume the role of chairman, board of directors. 

Prior to joining Gordon Brothers Group, Talarico he was managing partner of Cora Street Partners, an advisory boutique. From 2004 to 2009, he was a managing director of Sun Capital Partners.

Nine of the 21 new store openings Target has planned for this year are scheduled to open on July 24. Among the openings is a new unit in Hilo, Hawaii, the company’s fourth store in Hawaii, two units in San Luis Obispo and Oxnard, Calif. and two units in the Pennsylvania cities of Hanover and Pittsburgh. The Phoenix suburb of Chandler gets a new Target as do Moore, Okla., Kenner, La. And Swansea, Mass.

The openings planned for October are said to included units in San Clemente and Dublin, Ca., Gastonia and Morrisville, N.C., Blue Ash, Ohio and Warwick Township, Pa.

Long-time sporting goods industry executive Norbert Olberz, 86, who founded Sports Chalet in 1959, died of natural causes last Friday the company announced on Sunday.

Olberz served as CEO of Sports Chalet for 40 years until 1999, and he remained as chairman until 2001. He is survived by his wife of 52 years, Irene, his sister, Elizabeth Lepper, his son, Eric, and by his grandchildren Karl and Markus.

Addison, Texas — Coyote Management, L.P. and Garrison Investment Group announced that Lakeshore Mall, in Gainesville, Ga., is undergoing a renovation that includes extensive landscaping upgrades, new branding campaign, banners, directional signage, reopened customer service, gift card program and children’s strollers.

This week, said the companies, the property will begin construction on a new 11’ x 26’ monument sign and over $25,000 in landscaping. The project is scheduled to be complete by the end of July.

Pleasanton, Calif.— Safeway Inc. announced that the president of its Chicago-area Dominick’s Finer Foods division, Don Keprta, has resigned. Brian Baer, Dominick’s CFO and VP of finance, will assume the role of acting president of Dominick’s.

COMMERCE, Calif. — 99 Cents Only Stores reported total sales of $368.3 million for the first quarter of fiscal 2012 ended July 2.  This represents an increase of 6.3% over total sales of $346.5 million for the same quarter last year.  

Monroeville, Pa. — Chattanooga, Tenn.-based CBL & Associates Properties Inc. has announced a series of anchor redevelopments at Monroeville Mall in Monroeville, Pa., including the relocation of J.C. Penney to a new 110,000-sq.-ft. store on the upper level of the former Boscov’s location.     

Additionally, the current J.C. Penney location will be redeveloped into a new state-of-the-art 12-screen Cinemark Theatre. 

New York — Five Below on Friday made its Michigan debut, opening five stores in the Detroit metro area. The chain specializes in “extreme value” merchandise for teens and pre-teens, with no item priced more than $5.