Corporate Governance

Atlanta - Arby's Restaurant Group, Inc. has appointed Fallon as its national creative agency of record following a review period and search that began in October 2013 and ended in January 2014. As Arby's advertising agency, Fallon will lead the strategic creative development and implementation for the brand's television, radio, print and digital channels.

Fallon will officially begin work effective Jan. 21, 2014. In addition to the AFA board, Arby's was also aided by Joanne Davis Consulting, Inc. throughout the agency review process.

Cincinnati – The Kroger Co. has promoted two veteran company executives. Jay Cummins has been named president of the Smith's Food and Drug Stores division and Joe Fey has been named president of Kroger's Mid-Atlantic division.

Cummins, 62, has been serving as president of Kroger's Mid-Atlantic division. He succeeds Mark Tuffin, who was named senior VP of retail divisions in December 2013.

The Year of the Horse arrives January 31, 2014, the first day of the Chinese New Year, which will run through February 18, 2015.

Beverly Center in Los Angeles plans to celebrate the Chinese New Year and promote the Year of the Horse from day one through the month of February.

The Chinese Zodiac follows cycles of 12 years, with each year named for an animal. This year is the Year of the Horse. It is said that people born in the Year of the Horse may be hardworking, independent, intelligent and fall in love easily.

By Jonathan Barsade, [email protected]

Perhaps no single brand had a holiday season quite as rocky as Sears. When the retailer announced a string of bad news on Jan. 9, shares of Sears Holding Corp. (which includes both Sears and Kmart) went through the floor. Holiday sales at Sears stores were down 9.2% in the nine weeks prior to Jan. 6, a brutal figure when you consider that overall retail sales were up slightly over the holidays (which I’ll discuss more in my next column).

Minneapolis – Target Corp. notified Canadian shoppers who visited U.S, Target stores between Nov. 27 and Dec. 15, 2013 that some of their personal data may have been compromised in the major data breach that hit the retailer. According to the Canadian Press, that information includes personal data such as names, addresses, emails and phone numbers, but not financial data.

Seattle – Nordstrom plans to open a Nordstrom Rack store at Harbison Court in Columbia, S.C., and another at West Towne Crossing in West Towne, Wis. The approximately 34,000-sq.-ft. Columbia store and 30,750-sq.-ft. West Towne store are both scheduled to open in fall 2014.

When it opens, the Harbison Court Nordstrom Rack will be the company's second location in South Carolina, following the recently announced location in Greenville that will also open in fall 2014.

Winston-Salem, N.C. – Krispy Kreme has signed a development agreement with existing franchisee Great Circle Family Foods, LLC, to develop 20 new doughnut shops in Southern California during the next seven years. A Krispy Kreme franchise partner since 1998, Great Circle Family Foods currently operates 11 Krispy Kreme shops in Southern California.

The planned shops are expected to feature Krispy Kreme's new small factory design, including a drive-thru.

New York -- Eminence Capital, which owns 4.9% of the common stock of Jos. A. Bank Clothiers and has been pushing for a deal between the retailer and rival Men’s Wearhouse, has nominated two industry veterans for election as directors to the board at Jos. A. Bank's annual meeting. The nominees include: Bruce J. Klatsky, former chairman of Phillips-Van Heusen Corporation, a position he held from 1994 until June 2007, and Norman S. Matthews, former president of Federated Department Stores and active and former board member of other retail and consumer companies.

Bentonville, Ark. – Sam’s Club plans to open new stores on Thursday, Jan. 23, with a location in Warwick, R.I., and one will open in Mooresville, N.C.

Both stores will measure approximately 136,000 sq. ft. and feature a fresh bakery, a tire and battery center, and a café. A pharmacy and a hearing aid center are open to both members and the general public. The Mooresville store also offers the Click N Pull personal shopping service, as well as a fuel station.