Strategy

Cincinnati -- Associates working at Kroger stores in the Atlanta metro and surrounding area have ratified new labor agreements with UFCW Local 1996. The contracts cover 23,598 associates working in 163 stores in the Atlanta area and 12 in Savannah.

American Express added Walmart’s U.S. network of 4,100 stores as locations where customers can participate in the card issuers prepaid Serve offering.

Tampa, Fla. - The Melting Pot Restaurants  plans to expand its footprint in select markets throughout the U.S., and Canada. Domestically, the company is looking to recruit new franchisees in cities such as Anchorage, Alaska; Little Rock, Ark.; Fresno, Calif.; Hartford, Conn.; Des Moines, Iowa; New York City; Chattanooga, Tenn.; Charleston, S.C.; and Portland, Maine, as well as Houston and El Paso, Texas.

San Diego -- Petco today that Brad Weston, currently executive VP, chief merchandising officer, has been named president of the company’s small-format division, Unleashed by Petco. In this newly created and expanded role, Weston will drive all future strategy and operations for Unleashed by Petco, while continuing to lead merchandising for the Petco brand.

New York -- SweetFrog and Pizza Studio will open shops at Legends Outlets Kansas City in Kansas City, Kan., this spring and summer respectively. The locations will be the first in the Kansas City metropolitan area for both concepts.

SweetFrog has leased a 1,588-sq.-ft. space. The frozen yogurt franchise invites customers to make their own soft-serve creations, choosing from an array of flavors and toppings.

Umang Shah was named global director for social media and digital marketing at Campbell’s after serving in a similar capacity at Walmart for the past two years.

Los Angeles — Brooke Lauter and Nadene Gallagher, two Southern California marketing executives known for creating successful branding and marketing solutions for corporate and entrepreneurial clients, have joined forces to form Lauter + Gallagher.  

New York — Vornado Realty Trust plans to spin off nearly 16.1 million sq. ft. of shopping center assets into a new publicly traded REIT by the end of 2014, leaving the company with a largely office-centric portfolio, according to SNL Real Estate.

The move will simplify Vornado’s investment strategy and enable the company to focus on the ownership of office assets in the Washington, D.C., and New York City regions, including the high-value Manhattan office over retail assets.