Marketing

Bi-Lo Holdings has turned to a veteran Australian retail executive to take over as president and CEO.

The parent company of Bi-Lo, Harveys and Winn-Dixie grocery stores said that Ian McLeod has been appointed president and CEO effective March 2. McLeod succeeds Randall Onstead, who will remain in place through March 2.

The Macy’s Bloomingdale division is pursuing a micro-seasonality promotion opportunity with an Asian-inspired marketing campaign.

The company announced that it will be ringing in the Year of the Ram this Chinese New Year with unique merchandise, special events and cultural presentations from Jan.22 – March 2.

Canton, Mass. -- Athletic-shoe maker New Balance has teamed up with private-equity firm Berkshire Partners LLC to acquire The Rockport Company from the Adidas Group for $280 million.

Financial terms were not disclosed.

As part of the deal, New Balance affiliate Drydock Footwear LLC, whose brands include Cobb Hill, Aravon and Dunham, will join with The Rockport Co. to create The Rockport Group.

New York -- Women’s footwear designer Vince Camuto, who co-founded Nine West Group and then went on to establish his own successful namesake clothing and footwear business, has passed away at the age of 78. Camuto died Wednesday at his home in Greenwich, Connecticut, after a battle with cancer.

In 1978, Camuto and Jerome Fisher founded Nine West Group, which they grew into a retail powerhouse. In 1999, the company was acquired by Jones Apparel Group for nearly $900 million.

Tarrytown, N.Y. -- DLC Management Corporation announced the promotions of Adam Greenberg and Heather Moon from associate directors of leasing to directors of leasing for their respective regions.
 
According to DLC, both Greenberg and Moon have demonstrated strong deal-making skills through the number of deals they have completed in any given year, problem-solving for key spaces/vacancies, and the execution of overall property business plans.

San Francisco -- Gap Inc. is shutting down its Piperlime business. The company plans to close the brand’s online platform and single store in New York, by the end of the first quarter of fiscal year 2015.  

The decision comes as Abe Peck, who has led Gap’s growth, innovation and digital unit, gets ready to step into the CEO suite next month.

“We plan to keep on pushing new ideas and look forward to seeing how we can apply what we’ve learned to the rest of the company,” Peck said in a statement.

Vice presidents of merchandising at Fry’s Food Stores and Ralph’s and two other executives are the newest members of the board of the Western Association of Food Chains.

The trade group said four new members were elected to its board at its annual meeting this month in LaQuinta, Ca. Joining the board are Monica Garnes, Vice President of Merchandising at Fry’s, Dennis Gibson, president of QFC Stores, Valerie Jabbar, Vice President of Merchandising at Ralphs and Rob McDougall, President and CEO of Gelson’s.

Retailers factor in all kinds of variables when evaluating suppliers and a recent change at sauce and dressing manufacturer Litehouse gives sellers of food and consumables something new to think about.

The 50-year-old family owned Litehouse company based in Sandpoint, Idaho recently became 100% employee owned following the execution of an employee stock ownership plan. Litehouse first formed an ESOP plan in 2006 when it sold 30% of the company as a commitment to employees and their communities.