Retail

New York – Grocery discounter Aldi has been ranked the world’s “simplest” brand, with simplicity defined as a clarity of purpose that enables employee innovation and customer service. According to the annual 2013 Global Brand Simplicity Index from strategic marketing firm Siegel & Gale, Amazon.com is ranked second, followed by Google, which came out on top this year. The report is based on a study of 10,000 consumers in seven countries,

Colgate-Palmolive announced that during the third quarter, new product launches in the United States contributed to volume growth across categories and market share gains were seen in categories such as manual toothbrushes, powered toothbrushes, mouthwash and body washes.

Louisville, Ky. — The Mansour Group has announced the sale of Pet Smart and TJ Maxx, a 49,410-sq.-ft. retail box on an outparcel located in a 218,000-sq.-ft. shopping center owned by Weingarten. The seller was a national real estate advisory group and the buyer was a private investor.

 The offering is part of a large portfolio of similar former Service Merchandise assets — all exclusively listed by The Mansour Group.

MISSISSAUGA, Ont. -- Samsung Electronics Canada is opening 90 new format Samsung Experience Shops  in partnership with Best Buy Canada and Future Shop.  
 
The company plans to expand its Canadian retail footprint with the opening of two freestanding Samsung Experience Stores, one in Edmonton, Alberta, and the other Richmond, B.C. All retail locations are scheduled to open by spring 2014.

Beauty retailer Sephora has appointed former Sears Canada and Loblaws executive Calvin McDonald as president and CEO of Sephora Americas, effective Jan. 1, 2014.

McDonald succeeds David Suliteanu, who has led Sephora since July 2000. Suliteanu is becoming the CEO of Kendo Brands, a separate LVMH entity, which creates new beauty brands, as well as acquires brands. The Kendo portfolio today includes brands, such as Ole Henriksen, Kat von D, Formula X and Marc Jacobs Beauty, with others in development.

St. Louis -- Build-A-Bear Workshop shrunk its net loss in the third quarter of fiscal 2013 to $1.4 million from $4.3 million in the same quarter a year earlier. The company announced that it expects to close an additional 10 to 25 stores in fiscal 2013 and 2014 and, along with opportunistic store openings, expects to reach a store count of approximately 250 stores in North America.

Consolidated net retail sales were $83.6 million while operating 31 fewer stores compared to $84.3 million in the fiscal 2012 third quarter, a decrease of 0.9%.

The Walmart Foundation gave $2.5 million to Share Our Strength to help the hunger relief organization educate people about eating healthy on a budget.

New York -- Sephora announced Thursday that Calvin McDonald has been named president and CEO of Sephora Americas, effective Jan. 1, 2014.

McDonald, who previously served as president and CEO of Sears Canada, succeeds David Suliteanu.

Suliteanu, who has helmed Sephora Americas since July 2000, will become CEO of Kendo Brands, which is owned by Sephora's parent, LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SA.