Retail

Carlisle, Pa. -- Ahold USA said Tuesday it has appointed former Walmart executive Anthony Hucker to head its Landover, Md.-based Giant Food division.

Ahold, the U.S. subsidiary of Netherlands-based Royal Ahold, said Hucker has been named division president of Giant-Landover, effective Oct. 3, replacing interim president Don Sussman who will assume the role of executive VP supply chain for Ahold USA.

Hucker most recently served at Walmart as corporate VP and head of the Walmart Express division.
 

New York City -- A series of retailer moves on Madison Avenue has allowed for expansion and improved adjacencies in one of Manhattan’s luxury shopping meccas.

According to Prudential Douglas Elliman’s Retail Group, Italian luxury sportswear retailer Paul & Shark has opened in the Hartz Mountain Building at 667 Madison Avenue, replacing Michael Kors. In turn, Michael Kors will move to the current Steuben store and open a new flagship when the glassmaker departs the space.

MINNEAPOLIS — Earnings and comparable-store sales slipped at Best Buy, where the retailer suffered slower sales in key departments and a slowdown in consumer spending. Best Buy  has reported net earnings of $177 million, or 47 cents per diluted share, for its fiscal second quarter ended Aug. 27, compared with $254 million, or 60 cents per diluted share, for the prior-year period.

In the month of August, there was an overall 2% decline in pages and 5% decline in inserts per market versus 2010.

Lowes was one of the retailers who slowed promotional activity in 2011, by entirely pulling out two weeks of 2-page inserts and by decreasing their page-per-flyer count by an average of 4 pages.

New York City -- Sephora is opening a store in Manhattan’s trendy Meatpacking District that will feature a completely mobile checkout system, Women’s Wear Daily reported. The 5,000-sq.-ft. store, which will not have a traditional checkout counter, is due to open on Sept. 16. 

The company plans to rollout the new system in some 50 locations by yearend, according to the report.

 

Philadelphia -- Destination Maternity Corp. announced the opening of two namesake stores and two shop-in-shops in South Korea.

The freestanding locations, in the cities of Koyang and DaeJeon, are the chain’s first stores in South Korea and were opened by partner Agabang & Co.

New York City -- Winick Realty Group said that TJ Maxx has leased its first Wall Street location, in the heart of New York City’s Financial District.

The 32,000-sq.-ft. store, which spans two lower levels at 14 Wall Street on the corner of Broad Street, is slated to open in October.

NEW YORK — Macy's announced that it has partnered with Latina magazine and the Hispanic Scholarship Fund to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with special events and once-in-a-lifetime internship opportunities.