Home Depot

Indio, Calif. -- Jacksonville, Fla.-based Regency Centers said it has signed a lease and begun construction on a new Toys “R” Us/Babies “R” Us store at Indio Towne Center in Indio, Calif.

The 46,827-sq.-ft. location will replace the retailer’s store in Palm Desert and become its only location in Southern California’s Coachella Valley.

New York City -- A majority of retail associates (55%) said that 2010 holiday shoppers, driven by increasing availability of online shopping tools and mobile phone applications, were better connected to consumer information than in-store associates, according to a survey by Motorola Solutions. 

New York City -- The Home Depot promoted Aaron Carmack to president of The Home Depot Canada.

Carmack, currently regional VP of the Pac North region in the United States, on Jan. 31 replaces Annette Verschuren, who is leaving the home-improvement retailer after nearly 15 years.

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ATLANTA - The Home Depot announced that Aaron Carmack has been promoted to president, The Home Depot Canada, effective Jan. 31.  Carmack, the current regional VP of the Pac North region in the U.S., is replacing Annette Verschuren, who is leaving the company after nearly 15 years of service.

More than one-third of the world’s 250 largest retailers suffered a decline in sales in fiscal 2009 (encompasses June 2009 through June 2010), according to the Global Powers of Retailing 2011 report, whose results were revealed at the National Retail Federation’s Annual Convention & Expo in New York City. The annual report, from Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited, identifies the largest 250 retailers around the world, provides an outlook for the global economy and an analysis of market capitalization in the retail industry.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Winn-Dixie Stores announced that Laurence Appel, who joined Winn-Dixie in 2002 and formerly served as general counsel, corporate secretary and SVP human resources, has been named SVP retail operations. Appel replaces Frank Eckstein, who has retired from his current role but will continue to serve in an advisory capacity until the end of fiscal year 2011. 

Los Angeles -- In recognition of his business and philanthropic achievements, The Home Depot’s executive VP merchandising, Craig Menear, will receive The Spirit of Life Award from City of Hope’s Hardware/Homebuilding Industry group. Menear will be honored Jan. 11, at a reception, at the Rosen Plaza Hotel in Orlando, Fla., by colleagues and industry members. The day will begin with a golf tournament event that supports City of Hope’s lifesaving research, education and treatment programs for cancer and other life-threatening diseases.

Holiday shoppers continued to unleash three years of pent-up demand as the season winds up, on their way to setting a new record of over $521B, blasting through 2007’s pre-recession record of $508 billion, according to Customer Growth Partners. Based on CGP’s proprietary mall surveys and government retail data -- and despite Sunday’s Northeast blizzard -- the sales growth confirmed CGP’s +5% holiday sales forecast. [CGP’s data include e-commerce, unlike NRF, which excludes the same.]