Marketing

San Diego -- Petco announced it has named Michael M. Nuzzo as executive VP and CFO.  Before joining Petco, Nuzzo served as chief administrative officer of the baby gear brand, 4moms. Previously, he served as CFO and executive VP at GNC Holdings, and in various leadership roles at Abercrombie & Fitch.

Managing one partner can make retail design and construction that much easier.  Meet John Noonan with Icon, as he discusses how Icon’s three service offerings -- signage and graphics, self-perform sign & lighting maintenance, and remodel/refresh construction services– can add ease, speed and profitability to a retail rollout, even in an open-store environment.

An early Easter helped Stein Mart post an impressive 7.9% boost in same store sales for the first quarter.

Stein Mart reported sales of $244.4 million for the nine weeks ending April 4, a 10.6% increase over that period the year before. The sales growth was especially strong in March, according to the release.

The company reported $155.8 million in sales for the five weeks ending April 4, a 14.2% increase over that time the year before. Same store sales were up 11.2% for March. 

Union, N.J. – Bed, Bath & Beyond Inc. missed Wall Street expectations with its fourth quarter 2014 profit and sales results. In addition, the company indicated that it may join Walmart and other retailers in raising wages for employees.

During the fourth quarter, Bed, Bath & Beyond reported net earnings of $321.1 million, down 4% from $333.3 million a year earlier. Higher cost of sales and selling, general and administrative (SG&A) expenses helped drive down earnings.

New York - Millennials are not loyal to fashion brands. In fact, a new study from LIM College shows that 45% of those surveyed say nothing can be done to retain them.

The study, “Shopping Trends among 18-25-Year-Olds,” surveyed 275 LIM College students from March 2-9, 2015. Respondents were asked to evaluate the applicability of statements regarding why they may have abandoned what had been their brand of choice in 2013. The top responses were:

1. Availability of desirable new alternatives (64%).

Weis Markets Inc. is losing one of its longest serving executives after the company announced that the chairman of the board is stepping down.

Robert F. Weis will not stand for re-election to its board of directors at the company's annual meeting of shareholders on April 23, the company said.

"We are deeply indebted to Robert for his 69 years of leadership and tireless dedication to our company," said Harold G. Graber, Jr., a director and secretary of the company.

Chicago - Potbelly Corp. has named Michael Coyne as its new CFO, effective May 1. Coyne will oversee all financial functions and will also be charged with positively impacting Potbelly's analytical, productivity, and risk assessment capabilities.

Washington, D.C. -- The National Retail Federation announced a multimillion-dollar investment to form a new department within the organization focusing on industry research. The new Retail Research and Analysis Center will bring together all existing research within NRF and expand upon the wide range of issue areas and trends already studied.

The Center will focus on four main areas: the economy, legislative and regulatory policy, the retail industry and consumers.