Direct To Consumer (DTC)

New York City -- Sears Holdings Corp has named former FreshDirect executive Monica Woo to be VP and CMO, effective Aug. 15, according to Reuters. The post has been vacant since January 2010.

Woo will be responsible for the overall marketing, brand and advertising programs for Sears, according to the report. She most recently was the chief marketing and strategy officer of online grocer FreshDirect.
 

New York City -- The nation’s specialty apparel retailers reported mixed results in July. as Hot Topic and Limited Brands turned in strong performances, while Gap and Aeropostale stumbled.

Hot Topic said its same-store sales rose 7.3% in July. far exceeding the 0.5% rise in analysts’ forecast. Hot Topic said the measure rose 6.2% at its namesake stores and rose 11.8% at its plus-sized Torrid division. The teen retailer also raised its second-quarter outlook.

As residents of San Jose, Calif., my wife Pamela and I have our choice of some of the nation’s leading grocers: Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, Safeway. These companies set a high standard when it comes to quality and service, so it was with some reluctance, but a sense of adventure, that we gave Walmart To Go a try.

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. — Monica Woo will be joining Sears Holdings as VP and CMO for Sears on Aug. 15. She will be the key executive responsible for directing the overall marketing, brand and advertising programs for Sears.

New York City -- The Talbots said on Tuesday that its board of directors has adopted a shareholder rights plan -- or a poison pill -- to protect its stockholders after a private equity firm disclosed it had acquired a sizeable stake in the company.

On Monday, Sycamore Partners LP revealed it had acquired a 9.9% stake in Talbots and said it planned to attempt to talk with the retailer about strategy and operations.

Reports put Talbots’ market value at $288 million, and suggest a buyout would exceed $400 million.

Alexandria, Va. -- Douglas Development announced that Anthropologie has signed a lease for 10,500 sq. ft. in the newly acquired Douglas Development property at 610-12 King Street in Old Town, Alexandria, Va.

Anthropologie will move into the former Hallmark store by the end of this year.

New York City -- Whole Foods Market plans to open a store in Virginia Beach, Va.

The retailer recently signed a lease with S.J. Collins Enterprises for the construction of a 40,000-sq.-ft. store in the Hilltop section of Virginia Beach. It is scheduled to open by yearend 2013.

NEW YORK — Gilt Groupe Inc., a members-only online shopping destination, has named Melissa Liebling-Goldberg as editorial director for the women's category, effective immediately. In this position, Liebling-Goldberg is charged with expanding the category's editorial voice and building strong, lasting partnerships in the category while producing dynamic content for the website. Liebling-Goldberg will report directly to Jyothi Rao, general manager of Women's at Gilt Groupe.