Retail

St. Petersburg, Fla. -- The United Entertainment Group (UEG), a global entertainment and marketing agency, has been chosen by HSNi to become its marketing partnership agency of record.

As part of the deal, UEG and its partner UTA (United Talent Agency) will utilize its combined presence in Hollywood and on Madison Avenue to build upon HSNi's ongoing foray into integrating entertainment and retail by building partnerships that consist of celebrity brands, music platforms, television and film collaborations, and like-minded brand partnerships.

Mumbai – The Indian state of Rajasthan has reportedly prohibited direct foreign investment in supermarkets located there. According to Reuters, individual Indian states are allowed to decide whether or not they want to accept direct foreign investment in local supermarkets, and so far fewer than half of India’s 28 states have done so.

Owings Mills, Md. — Designer Shoe Warehouse has inked a deal to open a new store at Waugh Chapel Towne Centre in Gambrills, Md., between Annapolis and Baltimore, this summer. DSW has leased a 10,010-sq.-ft. space that the property’s owner Greenberg Gibbons will expand to 16,680 sq. ft. The deal leases the project up to 100%.

Stop & Shop has donated more than $2 million to hunger relief organizations across the Northeast thanks to participating customers.

According to the Greater Boston Food Bank, for every dollar donated they can provide three meals to those in need, so the combined efforts from Stop & Shop New England and Stop & Shop New York Metro divisions will help provide more than 6 million meals.

New York -- Sports Authority has hired Jeremy Aguilar as CFO. Aguilar, who most recently served as CFO of Hhgregg, replaces former Sports Authority CFO Tom Hendrickson, who retired from the company.

“Jeremy’s expertise in finance and accounting will play a critical role in further strengthening Sports Authority,” said CEO Michael E. Foss. “He will be a valuable asset to the team; we are thrilled to have him on board.”

New York -- Even as online shopping continues to grow, more U.S. shoppers are planning to make purchases from physical stores in 2014, according to a survey by Accenture. In the “seamless retailing” study, 21% of U.S. shoppers said they plan to increase their in-store purchasing, up from just 9% in last year’s study.

Winston-Salem, N.C. - Dan Beem will be joining Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, Inc. as senior VP of the company and president international later in February 2014. Beem, 44, will report to president and CEO Jim Morgan, and will be responsible for the company's international franchise business segment.  

WinCo Foods plans to open its first discount supermarkets in Texas at 8 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 6. The 95,000-sq.-ft. stores will feature the company’s newest décor which highlights its project offering.

The Ft. Worth store, located at 8000 Crowley Lane, will initially employ approximately 180 individuals, 170 of whom are local hires, and the McKinney store, located at 1800 N. Graves St., will open with approximately 170 employees, 160 of whom are local hires.