Mass Merchant

It’s working. That was the message Walmart EVP merchandising Duncan Mac Naughton shared this week with those who attended several events in which Walmart’s head merchant offered his perspective on the back-to-basics operational and merchandising philosophy on which the company’s U.S. strategy is once again dependant.

Boston -- Grossman Development Group said Friday that Mark Hebert has joined the company as VP development. 

Hebert was previously project development manager for WS Development. Prior to WS, Hebert spent nearly 10 years at BJ’s Wholesale Club, starting as a store planner and becoming a site development manager.
 

NAPERVILLE, Ill. — OfficeMax Friday announced that Ryan Vero, EVP and chief merchandising officer will be leaving the company effective Dec. 2. The company, which did not specify the reason for Vero's departure, said it has already started its search for a replacement. Michael Lewis, EVP and president of retail, will continue to provide oversight to the marketing and merchandising teams.

New York City -- Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market, the U.S. division of Tesco, has opened its first Fresh & Easy Express store, at La Cienega Boulevard and 18th Street in Los Angeles.

The new format is approximately 3,000 sq. ft. versus the 10,000-sq.-ft. footprint of a standard Fresh & Easy. It features an edited selection of some 2,700 SKUs, including fresh foods, baked items, groceries, and health and beauty items.
 

Economists may be feeling good after a government report that showed third-quarter GDP grew at 2.5%, but try telling millions of Americans who shop at Walmart stores at 12:01 a.m. on the first of the month that the nation is no longer in a recession.

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill.  — Sears Holdings has entered the future of staying connected to consumers introducing mobile shopping walls in high-traffic areas.

MINNEAPOLIS — Target reported October sales growth that fell short of analysts expectations, while uncertainty remains following the recent departure of the company's CFO.

Target reported that its net retail sales for the four weeks ended Oct. 29 were $4.8 billion, an increase of 4.3% from $4.6 billion for the four weeks ended Oct. 30, 2010. On this same basis, comparable-store sales increased 3.3% in October and 4.3% in the third quarter.

New York City -- Kohl's Corp. reported a 3.9% rise in same-store sales in October, better than analysts’ expectations, amid strong demand for its new Jennifer Lopez and Mark Anthony brands.

In a statement, CEO Kevin Mansell said that customers responded favorably to the pair of new brands, as well as the company's marketing programs.

“As we enter the important fourth quarter, we plan to continue our investment in marketing, especially digital and broadcast, to drive customer traffic and broaden our reach,” he said.