Marketing

New York City -- Gap has chosen Manhattan's Upper West Side for its second freestanding Athleta store, Crain’s New York Business reported.

The report said has signed a lease to open a 3,500-sq.-ft. Athleta at 216 Columbus Ave. at W. 70th Street. The store will open in the fall, and Gap is already seeking more New York area locations, according to Crain's.

Gap bought Petaluma-based Athleta, a catalog and website that sell women's athletic clothes, for $150 million in 2008.

By Jeff Weidauer, jweidauer_@_vestcom.com

One of the drawbacks of today’s connected global economy is the pervasive homogeneity in nearly everything. One can visit any state -- indeed, nearly any country -- and see many of the same stores and restaurants offering the same products.

CINCINNATI — Kroger is the latest retailer to join the Diabetes Prevention and Control Alliance as a partner.

The supermarket conglomerate will implement the DPCA's Diabetes Control Program, which is designed to help patients gain better control of their condition, at select store pharmacies, including stores in the Cincinnati, Columbus and Dayton, Ohio, markets, and will offer the program in Atlanta, Dallas, Houston and Las Vegas later this year.

NORTH BERGEN, N.J. — Vitamin Shoppe on Monday opened the doors to store No. 500 in St. Peters, Mo. — the company’s first store in that market and the third in the state.

New York City -- A report Monday by the Wall Street Journal said that Dish Network Corp. will assume leases on more than 500 Blockbuster stores after it completes its acquisition of the video-rental chain.

The lease takeovers will assure that Blockbuster will maintain some physical presence.

In a filing with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Manhattan, Blockbuster also listed hundreds of locations where it plans to reject leases, as its number of open stores continues to dwindle.

Gap Inc. wants international and online sales to account for 30% of its revenues within two years and a restructuring announced this week is expected to play a role in facilitating that growth.

The company said it would consolidate four existing international business units into one under the leadership of Stephen Sunnucks, a 30-year retail veteran who joined Gap five years ago.

Roseland, N.J. -- McDonald's New York Tri-State Area and its franchisees said Tuesday they are looking to hire new crew and restaurant management positions in more than 600 restaurant locations throughout the area on April 19.

The one-day event is part of a nationwide initiative for McDonald's and its franchisees with a target to hire up to 50,000 new employees at restaurants across the country.  

San Francisco -- Gap said Tuesday that it is establishing an international division, based in London, to ramp up overseas growth, and will open its first Old Navy stores abroad -- in Japan -- by 2012.

Gap said it has set a goal for international and online sales to make up 30% of its total by 2013, up from 22% in 2010 and 14% in 2006. The new international division will oversee stores across Europe, the Middle East, North Africa, Asia Pacific and South America.