Events

South Bend, Ind. -- Indianapolis-based Kite Realty Group said that McAlister’s Deli will open a 4,551-sq.-ft. location at Notre Dame, in South Bend, Ind.

The new quick-service delicatessen is slated to open this summer.
 

CINCINNATI — Kroger has announced the appointment of Cindy Holmes to director of investor relations and Carin Fike to director and assistant treasurer. Both changes will be effective March 6.

Fike will report to Kroger's treasurer, Scott Henderson; Holmes will report to Kroger's CFO, Michael Schlotman.

Holmes, 42, began her career with Kroger in 1990 in the information systems and services department, and for the past 10 years, she has served as the company's assistant treasurer.

Seattle -- American Girl said Wednesday it will make its Northwest U.S. debut as it opens a new store this summer at Alderwood Mall in Lynnwood, Wash.

According to a report by the Seattle Times, the Middleton, Wis.-based retailer, a division of Mattel, said it is taking 12,500 sq. ft. of space spanning the mall's interior and outdoor Village.
 
The new store will replace several departed or relocated tenants, including Cold Stone Creamery, World Wrapps and Anchor Blue.

Washington, D.C. -- A report released Thursday by Bloomberg found that consumer confidence for the week ended Feb. 20 rose to the highest level since April 2008 as Americans grew less pessimistic about their personal finances.

The Bloomberg Consumer Comfort Index, formerly the ABC News U.S. Weekly Consumer Comfort Index, was minus 39.2 in the period to Feb. 20, compared with minus 43.4 the prior week, the report showed.

Nearly half (49%) of those polled held positive views on their financial situation, the most in a year.

Everyone has an opinion on Walmart, especially given the subpar performance of the U.S. stores division. The search for answers makes for some interesting conversations such as the one that took place earlier this week on the financial news network CNBC. Click here to watch. 

Buffalo, N.Y. -- Headwear and apparel retailer New Era said Thursday it will expand its international presence with the opening of New Era Tokyo on Feb. 26.

The 1,100-sq.-ft. store, the retailer’s eighth global store, is located in Harajuku.

"We're focused on growing our retail presence internationally so having a flagship store in Japan's main city is really exciting," said Matthew Reeves, New Era Japan's managing director.

Chain Store Age has launched the fourth edition of its New Product Digest, which is designed to provide retailers with the latest news regarding new products and services, and to help suppliers promote their companies while influencing buying decisions.
 
The companies featured in this volume include Federal Health Specialty Contracting, The Maintenance Company and DuctSox. Check out this month's edition.

New York City -- Register now for the Chain Store Age Webinar, “Decoding the CFO's ‘Black Hole’: Protecting the Brand and Bottom Line.”

Presented by FM, the Webinar will be held this afternoon at 2 p.m. ET. Topics include current trends in retail facility maintenance, obstacles to protecting brand image and how to overcome them, and case studies of successful retailer facility management programs.

Click here to register.