Strategy

Former Asda executive and Walmart Canada CEO David Cheesewright has a new role that opens up some intriguing growth possibilities, given his new responsibilities include oversight of geographic areas where Walmart doesn’t currently operate stores.

Atlanta -- According to a report released Thursday by First Data Corp., the prepaid gift-card market has remained healthy during the first half of 2011, despite a sluggish economy.

The 2011 Midyear Gift Card update showed that the gift card market experienced a higher rate of growth than U.S. consumer spending.

Columbus, Ohio -- DSW said Thursday that it opened two new stores on Sept. 28.

A new store opened at Vintage Oaks Shopping Center in Novato, Calif., and a new store opened the same day in Boise, Idaho, at Franklin Towne Plaza.

 

New York City -- JPMorgan said Thursday it has hired Sears Holdings Corp. president of financial services Susan Ehrlich as a senior VP.

Ehrlich will be charged to help create new payments services for customers, retailers and small businesses.

Ehrlich managed Sears’s expansion of payment and credit products over a five-year period for the retailer.
 

Tempe, Ariz. -- Self-serve frozen yogurt concept Yogurtini said Thursday it will open the first of 10 stores planned for the southern Florida area.

A unit in Coral Springs, Fla., will open on Oct. 1, marking the first of 10 franchise locations through an area-development deal with Emilio and Javier Braun.

The brothers, who are based in Miami, are in the process of opening stores in Davie, Fort Lauderdale and the Hammocks Community in South Miami-Dade County.
 

Brick, N.J. -- North American Video said Thursday that it has begun servicing and maintenance of the video surveillance systems in all retail outlets across The Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Co.

A total of over 330 stores across seven states are part of the service program; retail banners include A&P, The Food Emporium, Pathmark, SuperFresh, Best Cellars, Waldbaum’s and Food Basics. 

As part of our in-depth coverage of mixed-use developments – see the October 2011 issue of Chain Store Age – we talked with Rob Wetherald, VP development for Peoria, Ill.-based Cullinan Properties, Ltd., owner and developer of the Streets of St. Charles mixed-use project in metro St. Louis, about how the format draws, and supports, retail.

How important are design and amenities to today’s mixed-use projects, especially with regard to the retail component?

New York City -- A report released Thursday by Bloomberg said that consumer confidence in the United States slumped last week to the second-lowest level on record.

The Bloomberg Consumer Comfort Index dropped to minus 53 in the period ended Sept. 25 from minus 52.1 the prior week. Similar readings were reached three times in the first half of 2009 and surpassed only by all-time lows of minus 54 plumbed in November 2008 and again in January 2009.

Stockholm, Sweden -- Hennes & Mauritz AB reported Thursday that profit for the third quarter fell 15% to $533 million, from nearly $621 million in the year-ago period. The Swedish fashion retailer cited rising procurement costs, marketing investments and a bump-up in new-store expansion for the decrease in profit.

H&M said it will add 265 new stores, up from the 250 previously planned, and will make market debuts in Indonesia and Thailand.

Bellevue, Wash. -- T-Mobile USA announced Thursday the rollout of a new global design for nearly 400 new and remodeled stores across the country. The move follows successful test pilots in Tukwila, Wash., and in New York City at Seventh Ave. and 48th St.,

T-Mobile said it adopted the new design format from its parent company, Deutsche Telekom AG, which has received positive customer feedback for this new design in retail stores across Europe.