Mass Merchant

Hingham, Mass. -- The Talbots said Thursday it has named Lesli Gilbert as senior VP stores, effective June 27.

Gilbert will be responsible for overseeing all aspects of Talbots core retail operations in the United States and Canada, as well as supporting the implementation of the company’s store reimage and rationalization programs. She will report to president and CEO Trudy F. Sullivan.

Gilbert was most recently regional VP East for T-Mobile USA, and, prior to that, was senior director of sales and customer experience at Gap.

Investment sales volume of significant retail properties totaled $5.8 billion in the first quarter of 2011, up an astounding 53% from the same period in 2010. It is important to also note that the number of properties traded increased at a slower pace – by 25% – which means that properties are trading at comparatively higher prices.

Per-square-foot pricing, at $167, is at its highest level in two years and 31% higher than the trough in second quarter 2010. Cap rates are at their lowest level since 1980 ending the quarter at 7.6%.

A Wild West atmosphere remains evident in the world of e-commerce as brands, once reluctant to sell directly to customers online for fear of alienating retailers, are now experimenting with novel ideas that just a few years ago would have been unthinkable.

For example, Ad Age this week chronicles an example involving Procter & Gamble selling products direct to consumers on its Facebook fan pages for several leading brands such as Tide, Gillette, Olay, Gain, CoverGirl, Luvs and Febreze.

PLEASANTON, Calif. — Safeway is bringing Coinstar's self-service coin-counting kiosks to its U.S. and Canada stores, the supermarket retailer announced Thursday.

Safeway said it agreed to install 1,400 Coinstar kiosks by the end of 2011, with installations slated to begin this month in Safeway stores and its banners, including Vons, Dominick's, Randalls, Tom Thumb, Genuardi's, Pavilions, Carrs and Pak N' Save.

Target ended its last fiscal year with sales of $67.4 billion and earnings per share of $4, but if company chairman, president and CEO Gregg Steinhafel has his way, within six or seven years earnings per share will double to $8 and sales will top $100 billion.

As part three of our ongoing coverage of RECon, the annual retail real estate convention conducted by the International Council of Shopping Centers and held May 22-25 in Las Vegas, Chain Store Age talked with Joe Boehm, senior VP, retail leasing, of Cleveland-based Forest City Enterprises, regarding his impressions of RECon 2011 and what Forest City projects garnered the most attention at the show.

What impression of the state of the industry were you left with by the end of RECon 2011?

Matthews, N.C. -- Activist investor William Ackman on Thursday disclosed ownership of an 8.9% stake in Family Dollar, according to a regulatory filing.

The investment makes Ackman and his Pershing Square Capital Management investment fund the largest owner of Family Dollar stock, increasing his holdings from 4.7% to the nearly 9%.
 

The latest installment in the dramatic collaboration between Procter & Gamble and Walmart is set to air this Saturday on NBC at 8 p.m. EST. The made-for-TV family movie called “Field of Vision” involves the topical subject of bullying, and in keeping with prior films offer viewers a heavy dose of morality.