Marketing

Walmart is setting some lofty goals for itself on such critical issues as sustainability and job creation.    In remarks Friday at the Net Impact Conference, Walmart CEO Doug McMillon outlined a "new roadmap" that will guide the company’s role in society on critical issues during the next several years, and pointed to a “new era of trust and transparency.”  

Saks Fifth Avenue has opened its third location in Miami, and seventh location year to date, at the just opened Brickell City Centre in the city’s financial district.   

China’s sluggish economy didn’t stop Alibaba from increasing revenue by 55% for the September quarter.  

There’s going to be change in the leadership structure at Whole Foods Market that will leave founder John Mackey as the sole CEO of the company.   Walter Robb, a 25-year Whole Foods veteran, is stepping down as co-CEO of the chain, effective Dec. 31. Robb, who has shared the CEO title with Mackey for six years, will remain on the board of directors and continue to serve as a senior advisor to the company and as chairman of the Whole Kids Foundation and Whole Cities Foundation.     

Amazon is synonymous for stealing marketshare from established retail brands. Now it upping the ante with private-label merchandise.    By leveraging its online shelf space to introduce its own line of new private-label products, Amazon is changing the dynamic in the marketplace once again, according to a report by 1010data Market Insights. This time among category leaders, as Amazon’s private label line directly competes with national suppliers.  

Target, HomeGoods, and Petco will be opening this month at Closter Plaza, a Whole Foods-anchored center in Closter, New Jersey, undergoing a complete redevelopment.   Owner Edens has stated it is “re-energizing” the 208,337-sq.-ft. center with tenants possessing greater appeal to affluent local residents. The developer reports that the average household income within a five-mile radius of the center is $134,000.  

Taubman is taking the Santa experience to a higher level — literally — at 12 malls this holiday season.   On Nov. 11, the mall owner and manager will debut “Santa’s Flight Academy,” where kids will be able to register as members of the jolly old elf’s flight crew, help Sleigh Mechanic George or Reindeer Caretaker Flash prepare for liftoff and engage in what Taubman is describing as an “immersive holiday experience.”  

That was fast.   Anne Dament, senior VP of grocery merchandising for Target Corp., is leaving the chain, after less than 18 months on the job. Her last day will be Nov. 18.   Damen’s exit will mark the third high-level executive departure at Target in less than three months. In August, the chain’s chief marketing officer, Jeff Jones, resigned to join Uber. And in September, chief digital officer Jason Goldberger left.    

Petco will celebrate the grand opening of nine new stores nationwide in November and December.   The openings are in keeping with the company’s fast-paced 2016 growth plan, which includes 63 new Petco stores and one new Unleashed by Petco store year-to-date.   In addition to the nine new locations, Petco will also celebrate the grand reopening of a relocated store in Kettering, Ohio.  

The CFO of Gap Inc. is leaving the company after serving in the role for nearly a decade.   The retailer announced that executive VP and CFO Sabrina Simmons is leaving. She will remain through the end of the company’s 2016 fiscal year, "ensuring a seamless transition over the coming months."