Corporate Governance

Matthews, N.C. -- Family Dollar Stores has named Trey Johnson to the newly created position of senior VP – food.

Johnson comes to Family Dollar from Sears Holdings where he created a limited assortment food concept for K-Mart. He also led the development of Wal-Mart’s Marketside format as its chief merchandising officer.
 

Bridgeview, Ill. -- Rose Paving Co. has completed a major parking feet enhancement program at 7-Eleven locations in the northeastern United States. The project, which involved 970,463 sq. ft. of space, spanned the course of five weeks. Work ranged from two-inch mill and overlay to full parking lot reconstruction at more than 75 7-Eleven stores in Maryland, New Jersey, and Virginia -- all while stores remained open.

New York City -- Starbucks Coffee Co. plans to expand in Latin America after concentrating in recent past years more on Asia, founder and CEO Howard Schultz said at a presentation in Madrid, Bloomberg reported.

The chain as about $2 billion in cash to invest in an “aggressive and opportunistic way,” Schultz said, and is especially interested in Brazil, according to the report.

New York City -- Best Buy Co. is reviewing its 11 stores in the United Kingdom, according to the Sunday Express.

The chain operates the stores in a joint venture with Carphone Warehouse Group Plc. Best Buy is in talks with its shareholders about all possible options for its British stores, the newspaper said.
 

HOLLYWOOD — Frederick’s of Hollywood Group announced that former Gap executive Don Jones has joined the company as president and COO.   

Jones, who most recently served as CEO of Pogan Retail, a consulting firm he founded in 2003. Prior to founding Pogan, Jones served  as SVP stores and operations for Gap Inc., where he was responsible for Gap,  Gap Kids and Gap Body retail stores.  

During his career, Jones also held leadership positions at Target, Ikea, Filene's and Macy's.

NEW YORK — Tiffany & Co. said Thursday it plans to open a store in New York’s SoHo neighborhood in September 2012.

The 7,000-sq.-ft. store will occupy a space that combines two locations -- 97 Greene Street and 106 Wooster Street. 

The 2012 opening corresponds to Tiffany’s 175th anniversary of its founding on Lower Broadway in the 1850s.

WASHINGTON — A report released Thursday by Bloomberg said that U.S. consumer confidence held last week at the second-lowest level of 2011 as the highest number of households in three years said it was a bad time to spend. 

The Bloomberg Consumer Comfort Index was minus 49.3 in the period to Sept. 11, near the 2011 low of minus 49.4 reached in May. The buying climate gauge slumped to the lowest level since October 2008.

According to the report, the majority -- nine out of 10 -- of Americans polled had a negative view on the economy.

CHICAGO, and COLLINGSWOOD, N.J. — A universal product sustainability score would influence the brand purchase decisions of health and eco-conscious consumers, according to new research from Ryan Partnership Chicago and Mambo Sprouts Marketing.

HONG KONG — On the heels of a 98% drop in its yearly earnings, Esprit Holdings said it is divesting its North American businesses and exiting three major European markets.

The company said it is actively looking for a partner willing to acquire its North American operations, which include 93 stores in the United States.

New York City -- Barnes & Noble has bought some of Borders Group’s intellectual property along with other bidders, Crain’s New York reported.

According to Hilco Trading, the liquidation company handling the sale, multiple bidders, including Barnes & Noble, have agreed to buy $15.8 million of Borders' intellectual property, Craine’s said. The properties include a global portfolio of trademarks; Borders, Waldenbooks and Brentano's trade names; Internet domain names and the Borders.com e-commerce website.