Marketing

Big Lots is preparing for the grand opening celebration of its newest store at 9 a.m. Friday, October 17, and baseball great Mariano Rivera will be in attendance.

Rivera, who spent 17 seasons with the New York Yankees as a relief pitcher, will kick off the store opening with an autograph session from 10 a.m-noon.

"What better way to celebrate our new store in North Bergen than by welcoming New York Yankee great Mariano Rivera to join us on this special day," said CEO and president David Campisi.

Genesco’s Lids division has acquired Jersey City Canada, a licensed sports apparel, headwear and novelty company operating 28 retail stores across four Canadian Provinces.  

The acquisition includes nine headwear only Capz stores, and two websites operating under www.jerseycity.ca and www.CFLshop.ca. Partnering with the CFL, Lids will become the online provider of the Canadian Football League officially licensed merchandise. With this acquisition, Lids will now operate more than 150 locations across Canada, an increase of roughly 35%.

Moki, a leading mobile software platform, has appointed Chander Chawla VP of marketing and product strategy. With Chawla on board, Moki said it plans to open an office in Palo Alto, California, to better serve its growing customer base.

Chawla, who has been in the mobile industry for 15 years, has been credited with leading the growth of public Wi-Fi and wearable devices at T-Mobile and National Semiconductor.

The recently released 2014 Food, Drink, and Consumer Goods Outlook Survey from audit, tax and advisory firm KPMG is highlighting some key initiatives that consumer goods executives are focusing on to transform their businesses. The goals range from updating operational efficiencies and technology to making a push for product innovation, according to survey results.
 

New York -- Apparel retailers reported modest sales growth for the month of September, fueled by back-to-school spending early in the month.

Wayne, N.J. – Toys “R” Us has appointed Michael Melzer as managing director, Central Europe, responsible for the company’s operations throughout Germany, Austria and Switzerland, including 91 stores and four e-commerce sites.

Melzer previously served as managing director of Staples in Germany, overseeing both its retail stores and online business. Before that, he spent five years with the department store chain Karstadt, first as director, corporate development and later as managing director of its e-commerce business.

Philadelphia – Net sales at Destination Maternity Corp. dropped 5% to $122 million in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2014, from $128.3 million the same quarter a year earlier. Same-store sales, including Internet sales, declined 5%.

Net sales declined primarily from the decrease in same-store sales and decreased sales related to the company's continued efforts to close underperforming stores. Sales results were below previously released guidance.

Hauppauge, N.Y. - Premier Store Fixtures, a provider of interior fixtures for the retail industry, has appointed Richard Winter as CEO and a member of the board of directors. Winter has more than 25 years of senior executive experience in the store fixtures industry, including serving as the sector president of The Marmon Group’s retail services division.

Toys“R”Us has appointed Michael Melzer as managing director, Central Europe. He will be responsible for the company’s business operations throughout Germany, Austria and Switzerland, including 91 stores and four e-commerce sites, as well as the approximately 2,200 employees in these countries, and report to Wolfgang Link, president, Europe.

A decrease in same-store sales and losses resulting from Destination Maternity’s continued efforts to close underperforming stores fueled a net sales decline in the fourth quarter — just two months after Anthony Romano came on board as CEO.

Net sales at Destination Maternity dropped 5% to $122 million in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2014, from $128.3 million the same quarter a year earlier. Same-store sales, including Internet sales, declined 5%. Sales results were below previously released guidance.