Mass Merchant

Dollar Tree has appointed former Tractor Supply executive Randy Guiler as VP of investor relations. Guiler succeeds Timothy Reid, who is retiring.

Chesapeake, Va. - Randy Guiler has joined Dollar Tree Inc. as VP, investor relations. Guiler, 49, is joining Dollar Tree after nearly 15 years with Tractor Supply Company, including leading Tractor Supply’s investor relations efforts for the past 10 years.

Prior to his role as VP, investor relations & corporate communications, Guiler also had responsibility for Tractor Supply’s treasury and risk management functions. Guiler will succeed Timothy Reid, 61, who is retiring.

Dublin, Calif. -- Ross Dress for Less (“Ross”) will open a new store in Utah on July 19, in The Shoppes at Lake Park in West Valley City. This increases the number of stores in the state to 16 locations.
      
The opening is part of the retailer’s 2014 expansion program, totaling approximately 75 new locations for the year.

Together, Ross Dress for Less and dd’s Discounts currently operate over 1,300 off-price apparel and home fashion stores in 33 states, the District of Columbia and Guam.

Simon, a global leader in retail real estate, has appointed retail and real estate executive Stephen Yalof as CEO of premium outlets and senior EVP of Simon.

Yalof has served as SVP of real estate for Ralph Lauren Corporation since 2002. His 15 years of experience within the retail industry also includes his role as senior director of real estate for Gap. Yalof began his career in real estate under the leadership of Arnold Labich at New Plan Realty Trust, and became VP of leasing for their factory outlet business.  

New York – A majority of Americans say they have purchased clothing (69%), digital content (59%), and accessories such as handbags and shoes (54%) online, while half (49%) have purchased personal electronics such as digital music players or tablets in this fashion. However, according to a recent Harris Poll of 2,241 U.S. adults, nearly eight-in-10 respondents indicated an in-person preference for general food purchases such as groceries (78%).

Sears and Kmart recently announced they will allow pickup of Sears.com or Kmart.com orders at any of each other's more than 2,000 U.S. stores. Customers will be able to select free store pickup and a preferred pickup location for specially marked online items. The retailers are even taking the digitally progressive step of offering online video instruction through the YouTube channel for members of the Sears/Kmart Shop Your Way omnichannel loyalty program.

Ikea is submitting plans to Clark County, Nevada, for a Las Vegas-area store that would increase the Swedish retailer’s presence in the western United States. The application marks the beginning of the governmental approval process that could lead to the store’s opening as early as summer 2016.

Until then, customers will have to shop at the closest locations in Covina, California; Tempe, Arizona, or Draper, Utah; or online at IKEA-USA.com.

Bentonville, Ark. – Comedian Tracy Morgan has filed a lawsuit against Wal-Mart Stores claiming the company was negligent in a June 2014 automobile accident involving one of its truck drivers on the New Jersey Turnpike. On June 7, Wal-Mart truck driver Kevin Roper, 35, allegedly swerved to miss an auto on the New Jersey Turnpike and instead struck a limousine bus carrying Morgan and several associates.