Walmart

Miami Gardens, Fla. -- Palmetto Park has broken ground on the inline space at Palmetto Gardens Plaza, a 63,000-sq.-ft. shopping center located at 3799 NW 167th St. in Miami Gardens, Florida. Anchor tenant Wal-Mart Neighborhood Store was recently completed and is now open.  

New York -- Grocery distributor and retailer SpartanNash has promoted Dave Staples, current executive VP and CFO, to COO. Staples will oversee all three operating segments of the company: retail, wholesale and military distribution. He will continue to serve as CFO until his replacement is hired.

Staples joined SpartanNash in January 2000, serving as the company’s executive VP and CFO since November of 2000

Grocery distributor and retailer SpartanNash is looking to a former Walgreens executive to help drive growth.

Derek Jones, currently SpartanNash’s EVP, food distribution, has been promoted to president, wholesale and distribution operations. He will oversee the entire supply chain, including military supply chain operations.

Petland has hired a former Walmart executive as vice president of corporate stores as the pet supply retailer looks to expand its national footprint. 

Although Tony Samples last worked at Walmart in 2006, Petland touted his Walmart experience in a news release. "Tony brings extensive retail experience to Petland at a time when Petland is expanding its retail footprint," said Petland President and CEO Joe Watson. Samples will lead Petland's retail store division and oversee the company's merchandising and marketing efforts.

Walmart Vice President of U.S. Manufacturing Cindi Marsiglio is scheduled to provide an update on the retailer’s $250 billion domestic sourcing commitment at an event later this month.

Marsiglio is scheduled to speak at 7 a.m., March 19, at an event sponsored by Doing Business in Bentonville at the John Q Hammons Center in Rogers, Ark. The organization, known as DBB locally, regularly holds events at which top Walmart executives share updates and insights on key initiatives and working effectively with the company.

Chillicothe, Ohio -- Petland has appointed former Walmart exec Tony Samples as VP of corporate stores. Samples will lead Petland's retail store division and oversee the company's merchandising and marketing efforts.  

"Tony brings extensive retail experience to Petland at a time when Petland is expanding its retail footprint," said Petland president and CEO Joe Watson.

The Center for Retailing Excellence just scored another coup with the addition of Walmart COO Judith McKenna to the agenda for an upcoming conference that already included Walmart CEO Doug McMillon.

The Center, part of the Sam M. Walton College of Business at the University of Arkansas, is scheduled to hold its annual Emerging Trends in Retail conference on June 11 at the Northwest Arkansas Convention Center in Springdale near Walmart’s headquarters in Bentonville headquarters.

Walmart is all about leveraging its scale to drive performance, but the application of that mindset can play out in many different ways, as Kathleen McLaughlin, president of the Walmart Foundation, will explain on March 3.