Strategy

Newell Rubbermaid is consolidating its marketing efforts and picking one lead creative partner and one lead media-buying partner to help oversee the company’s global advertising and promotion investment.

Canton, Mass. – Dunkin’ Donuts plans to develop three new restaurants throughout northern Colorado, in the surrounding areas of Fort Collins, Loveland, Greeley, Windsor, and Estes Park. The first restaurant is expected to open in 2015 and the remainder by 2017.

New franchisees Doug Patterson and Cameron Stapleton signed a multi-unit development agreement. Stapleton will manage and oversee the company's daily operations for each restaurant. Franchise opportunities in the state are still available in Colorado Springs.

Montreal — Simon Property Group, SmartCentres and Calloway REIT hosted a groundbreaking ceremony on Oct. 2 to begin construction of Premium Outlets Montreal, the second Premium Outlet Center in Canada.

Former Walmart executive Mark Trowbridge has joined supply chain technology provider Park City Group as one of the firm’s senior advisors.

Trowbridge spent 16 years at Walmart where he launched the Neighborhood Market store and a merchant leadership rogram to recruit and train buyers, according to a press release announcing his new role at Park City Group. He still lives in Bentonville. Trowbridge’s new responsibilities include developing business solutions, consulting and expanding efforts in the retail channel.

Bentonville, Ark. – Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. will reportedly decide how it will proceed with retail plans in India this month. According to Reuters, Wal-Mart’s Indian partner Bharti Enterprises will decide if it wants to continue working with Wal-Mart based on those plans.

New York — Sam’s Club will open two new clubs on Oct. 3. One is located in Romeoville, Ill. Romeoville Mayor John Noak, Chicago Bears cornerback Tim Jennings and former Bears tight end Desmond Clark, will attend the grand opening.

The second new Sam’s Club is located in Edmond, Okla. Edmond Mayor Charles Lamb, Oklahoma quarterback Jason White and former Sooner running back Billy Sims will attend the grand opening.

The National Retail Federation showed its Christmas spirit on Thursday by releasing a holiday forecast that calls for sales to increase 3.9% to $602 billion and assumes the President and Congress will be able to resolve their differences.

NRF’s forecasted growth rate of 3.9% is a solid figure and well above the 3.3% average growth rate of the past 10 years and ahead of last year’s 3.5% gain. In addition, the trade group’s Shop.org digital division forecast that online sales would grow between 13% and 15% to roughly $82 billion.

Publix is heading to South Carolina with two stores which will be located in North Myrtle Beach and Pawleys Island.

The first lease is for North Myrtle Beach located in the Coastal North Town Center at Hwy. 17 and Moss Place. The store will be a 49,000-sq.-ft. Publix supermarket and is expected to open in late 2014.