Corporate Governance

Lands’ End names new marketing chief in leadership shakeup
Specialty apparel retailer Lands' End is making a number of new executive appointments in the marketing and merchandising areas of the company.
Victoria’s Secret exec joining department store retailer
Belk Inc. is expanding its senior leadership team. The company, which operates 293 stores in 16 Southern states, named Randy Whitaker as executive VP, chief stores officer, effective June 27. He comes to Belk after more than 15 years at Victoria’s Secret, having most recently served as executive VP of store operations. His previous roles at Victoria’s Secret include senior VP of finance, real estate and stores, and VP of real estate integration.

Study: Millennial shoppers can be selfish, too

Despite their reputation as a generation dedicated to the greater good, millennial consumers are in some ways more narrowly focused than their Gen X elders. According to a new study of more than 7,000 global consumers conducted online in April age 18-55 conducted by sales and marketing firm Daymon Worldwide, 35% of both millennial and Gen X consumers prefer buying sustainable products.
CVS Pharmacy in 2,900-store healthy food commitment

CVS Pharmacy is upping its game on food.
How a Boston start-up is transforming alcohol sales for the digital age

Launched in 2013, Drizly facilitates the sale and delivery of alcoholic beverages online. Chain Store Age recently visited the company’s Boston-based headquarters and spoke with Nick Rellas, co-founder and CEO, about Drizly’s business model and the evolution of e-commerce. What made you decide to enable the online sale and delivery of liquor?
Costco flips the credit card switch

The American Express card is now history at Costco Wholesale Club. As of June 20, Costco is accepting only Visa-branded credit cards chain wide. The retailer made headlines last year when it announced that, after 16 years, it was dropping American Express as its exclusive credit card provider and switching to Visa.
Luxury department store looking for a buyer

Neiman Marcus is searching for a buyer or investor, the New York Post reported. Neiman Marcus CEO Katz recently visited China and while there met with potential buyers, including Anbang Insurance Group, which passed on an offer to buy the retailer, the report said.
Five Below expands Texas footprint

Five Below is adding two more stores to its already considerable Texas portfolio. The fast-growing extreme-value retailer will open two stores in the Rio Grande section of Texas, in the towns of Brownsville and Mission, on June 24, 2016, giving it a total of 53 locations in the state. The Rio Grande area stores are two of approximately 85 new Five Below stores is opening in 2016, on top of 71 new stores it opened in 2015.
CSA names seasoned writer/marketer as real estate editor

Chain Store Age has named Al Urbanski as real estate editor & manager; effective immediately. Al takes the reins of CSA’s online and print real estate content as well as develops marketing strategies for shopping center companies, real estate advisers and brokers, tech firms and more to leverage CSA’s retailer audience.
Walmart makes big move in China with stake in Internet giant

In a big step to grow its business in China, Walmart has entered into an agreement to acquire a 5% stake in JD.com, China’s second largest e-commerce company.
Chick-fil-A and Zoe’s Kitchen to join Kroger at Springwoods Village

Regency Centers announced the signing of nine new tenants for The Market at Springwoods Village, a Kroger-anchored center slated to open in 2017 in the outer northern beltway of Houston. New neighbors of the 100,000 sq.-ft. Kroger Marketplace will be Chick-fil-A; Cold Stone Creamery; Lovett Dental; Nails of America; MOD Pizza; Supercuts; Tarka’s Indian Kitchen; Torchy’s Tacos; and Zoe’s Kitchen. Retail space in the first phase of The Market totals 170,000 sq. ft.
Grocery giant invests in exit signs that put high-tech spin on glow in the dark

The Kroger Co. is installing cutting-edge exit signs as part of a $4 billion store- investment program. The chain is deploying photoluminescent exit signs developed by Cincinnati start-up MN8 at all new and renovated stores nationwide. The LumAware signs differ from standard glow-in-the-dark products in that they also emanate light. The signs, which consumer no energy, eliminate the need for batteries, light bulbs, electricity or maintenance.