Marketing

Lisa Evans has joined Gordmans Stores as EVP and chief merchandising officer as the apparel and home décor retailer looks to restore growth following another disappointing quarter.

Evans appointment to the head merchant role at the 98 store chain was announced in conjunction with third quarter results that saw same store sales decline 7.8% on top of a prior year decline of 6.1%. Net sales declined 3.1% to $146.7 million. The company reported a net loss of $1.9 million, or 10 cents a share, compared to a prior year profit of $1.1 million, or 6 cents a share.

Enhanced onmichannel capabilities were among the factors that incoming Foot Locker CEO Dick Johnson cited as contributing to the company’s increase in third quarter profits and same store sales.

Profits for the third quarter climbed to $120 million, or 82 cents per share, compared with profits of $104 million, or 70 cents per share, in the prior-year quarter. Third quarter same store sales increased 6.9% to $1.7 billion this year, compared with sales of $1.6 billion for the prior-year period.

CROSSMARK veteran Jim Norred was named president of the sales and marketing services company’s Marketing Solutions Group.

Norred most recently served as EVP of corporate development with responsibility for client services, business development, insights and corporate marketing. Prior to that, he served as the company’s CIO. He also has served as president of G2, an integrated marketing joint venture that ultimately was acquired by WPP in 2008.

New York - Gap Inc.'s incoming CEO, Abe Peck, is wasting no time putting his own stamp on the company, naming new presidents for the Gap and Banana Republic brands. Jeff Kirwan, 48, has been tapped to replace Stephen Sunnucks as global president for  Gap. And Owen, 49, will succeed Jack Calhoun on Jan. 5 as global president for Banana Republic.    

LYNDHURST, N.J. - Citizen Watch Company of America opened its first-ever global flagship, in Times Square, New York City.    The 1,300-sq.-ft. foot store is designed to appeal to amateur and serious watch enthusiasts alike, with interactive and hands-on displays and exclusive offerings, Multiple 360- degree cases allow for shopping from either side of the case and provide easy movement throughout the store.  

Worthington, Ohio - Amazon and Nordstrom shoppers plan to increase their holiday spending the most compared to other shoppers, according to a survey by Prosper Insights & Analytics.  The report, “Holiday 2014: Retailers to Watch,”  finds that while overall holiday spending plans are up this holiday season, shoppers will still be looking for sales and big discounts and spending only what they have to, making waves for retailers to navigate this year.   

Columbus, Ohio – L Brands Inc. beat Wall Street projections with net income of $131.8 million during the third quarter of fiscal 2014, up 43% from $91.99 million the same period the prior fiscal year. A boost in pretax income helped drive L Brands’ impressive profit growth.   Net sales rose 7% to $2.32 billion from $2.17 billion, and same-store sales increased 5%. 

  San Francisco – Williams-Sonoma Inc. surpassed Wall Street expectations with its profit and sales results for the third quarter of fiscal 2014. Earnings per share increased 17% to $0.68 from $0.58 in the same quarter the previous fiscal year.   Retail net revenues increased 3% to $556 million from $540 million, primarily driven by West Elm and Pottery Barn, partially offset by a decrease in Williams-Sonoma due to eight fewer stores  

Irving, Texas - Net income increased 36% to $64 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2014 compared to $47 million in the same quarter last year at The Michaels Companies. A decrease in selling, general and administrative (SG&A) expenses helped boost profits. Net sales increased by 1% to $1.13 billion from $1.12 billion, while same-store sales decreased by 0.8%. Michaels plans to open two new stores in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2014.

Retail Strategy: Top Issues Facing Retail CIOs  David Dorf, Oracle   It wasn’t long ago that the main expectations for the retailer CIO were to keep the servers running, desktops patched, and store-based POS systems taking money.  Today, the CIO fulfills a more strategic role, one that impacts the organization’s ability to adapt to changing consumer preferences, preserve margins and serve customers.  Here is a look at the top issues facing retail CIOs today: