Marketing

Specialty retailer Francesca's is losing its head merchant.

CMO Sei Jin Alt is resigning to spend more time with her family and pursue other interests, the company said. The company has initiated a search for a new Chief Merchandising Officer. To facilitate a smooth transition, Alt will remain in her current role until Nov. 20.

New York -- Almost as quickly as tiny northwest grocer Haggen became a regional player by acquiring 146 former Safeway and Albertsons stores the company is retrenching and has plans to close a large number of stores.

Houston – Francesca’s Holdings Corp. is looking for someone to run its merchandising operation. Sei Jin Alt, chief merchandising officer of Francesca’s, will be resigning from the company to spend more time with her family and pursue other interests.

Francesca’s has initiated a search for a new chief merchandising officer. To facilitate a smooth transition, Alt will remain in her current role until Nov. 20, 2015.
 

 In a shift to quality over quantity, Walmart has cut expansion plans for its Neighborhood Market stores despite the format’s consistently strong top line growth in recent years.

Dallas – Encore Retail, LLC, a subsidiary of Encore Enterprises, Inc., has acquired land to develop a 16+ acre high-density Class A mixed-use development in the affluent Town of Bedford, New Hampshire. The development is planned to be over 200,000 sq. ft. and will consist of fashion, recreation, fitness, dining and office space located in New Hampshire's retail and business hub.

The property is positioned along South River Road at the intersection of Route 101 and Everett Turnpike

Toano, Va. – Shuffling in the executive ranks continues at embattled Lumber Liquidators Holdings Inc., in the wake of accusations the retailer sold Chinese hardwood laminate products that had illegal levels of formaldehyde. Lumber Liquidators has hired Jill Witter as chief compliance and legal officer.  

Toronto – Despite efforts by her previous employer to block the transition, former Kohl’s CIO Janet Schalk is joining Hudson’s Bay Co. in the same capacity. Schalk initially informed Kohl’s she would be leaving effective July 31 to take the Hudson’s Bay CIO post.

Kroger is thinking big in Texas with a three year, $1.2 billion investment plan and just created a new senior leadership structure to execute the growth strategy.

Kroger’s growth aspirations in Texas will be overseen by two key executives tasked with leading newly created divisions. The retailer created a new Dallas division and a Houston division. The stores in both areas were previously part of the company’s 214 unit Southwest division.