Marketing

The Wet Seal named Christine Lee EVP and chief merchandising officer, as the retailer of young women’s apparel looks to regain its appeal with core shoppers and reverse several quarters’ worth of double-digit same-store sales declines.

Lee will join Wet Seal on September 3 and in her new role report to company CEO John Goodman. Lee previously served as SVP and general merchandise manager at Pacific Sunwear since 2010. Prior to Pac-Sun, she spent 18 years with Urban Outfitters where she began her career as a sales associate.

Publix Super Markets and Weis Markets reported respectable second quarter sales growth, but profits were harder to come by.

Publix, the nation’s fifth largest supermarket chain, said sales for its second quarter increased 6.6% to $7.5 billion, with 1.3% of the gain related to the timing of Easter. Same store sales increased 6.3%. Despite the top line improvement, Publix said profits increased slightly less than 1% to $404.1 million from $400.9 million while earnings per share increased by a penny to 52 cents.

York, Pa. -- The Bon-Ton Stores, Inc. announced the appointment of Kathryn Bufano to the position of president and CEO, effective Aug. 25. Bufano has served as the president and chief merchandising officer of Belk Inc. since 2010.

Bufano replaces outgoing president and CEO Brendan Hoffman, who announced his resignation.

Charlotte, N.C. -- Following the resignation of president and chief merchandising officer Kathryn Bufano to take the CEO slot at Bon-Ton, Belk has promoted David Zant as its replacement, effective Aug. 11.

Zant, who will report to Tim Belk, chairman and CEO, has served as Belk’s executive VP and general merchandising manager of men’s, home and kids since 2008.

Jacksonville, Fla. -- Body Central Corp. has appointed three new directors effective July 31.

Bryan Eshelman is COO of Aldo Group in Montreal; prior to Aldo, he was the executive VP and chief supply chain officer at Charming Shoppes.

Folline Cullen is a turnaround specialist with Educate Online who has overseen the Sylvan Learning spinoff; she was previously the CFO of  Wall Street International, a global brand in English instruction.

Atlanta – The Home Depot Inc. has promoted Ted Decker to executive VP of merchandising, effective Aug. 4. Decker is a 14-year veteran of The Home Depot, where he most recently served as senior VP of retail finance, pricing analytics and assortment planning.

Austin, Texas – Whole Foods plans to expand its loyalty, marketing and home delivery programs. In a conference call with investors, co-CEO Walter Robb said Whole Foods will launch its first national marketing campaign in fall 2014, with a focus on how the retailer is better and different than its competitors.

Atlanta – Havertys reported essentially flat net income growth in the second quarter of fiscal 2014. Net income was $4.82 million, compared to $4.83 million in the second quarter of the prior fiscal year.

Net sales rose 2.5% to $175.13 million, from $171.11 million. Same-store sales climbed 3.2%.
 

Retail and consumer products veteran Brian Cornell was named chairman and CEO at Target to fill two of the three roles previously held by the company’s former top executive Gregg Steinhafel.