Mass Merchant

Walmart.com EVP Steve Nave and online grocer Peapod’s COO Mike Brennan are slated to share the stage at Nielsen’s upcoming Consumer 360 conference in Orlando June 20 to 22 during a session moderated by Adam Lashinsky, Fortune’s editor-at-large.

New York City -- Gap said its chief design director, Patrick Robinson, is leaving the company effective immediately. He had been executive VP of Gap Global Design for Adult and Body for four years.

The company said it will conduct a search for a successor.

Pam Wallack, head of the Gap Creative Center, made the decision to oust Robinson and will manage the design teams in the interim.

His departure follows a series of management shuffles and organizational changes aimed at reviving sagging sales of the brand.
 

MINNEAPOLIS — The 13.1% increase in same-store sales Target reported for April was toward the low end of the company’s projection of an increase in the mid-teens and begs the question whether Walmart’s mid-month launch of a new marketing campaign contributed to the weakness.

Shoppers looking to buy an e-reader for mom this week had an interesting choice to make. They could pay $149 for a Nook at Walmart or go to Target or Best Buy and pick up a Kindle for $114. Target and Best Buy offered the Wi-Fi-enabled Kindle version capable of holding up to 3,500 books, and Target even featured the device on the cover of its weekly ad with a large photo. Walmart opted for a similar strategy and featured the Wi-Fi-enabled Nook capable of holding 1,500 books for $149 on the cover of its circular.

Given the performance of Costco and BJ’s during April, it’s a safe bet that same-store sales at Sam’s Club continued to accelerate during the first quarter and will meet or exceed guidance provided at the end of the fourth quarter that called for an increase in the 1% to 3% range.

New York City -- Retailers reported strong April sales that were boosted by the late Easter holiday, which fell on April 24, three weeks later than last year. Same-store sales rose 8.9% at the 25 retailers tracked by Thomson Reuters, compared with expectations for an 8.2% increase. But the good news was tempered as retailers acknowledged that shoppers are under increasing pressure from rising gas prices and other cost increases.

NEW YORK —  Consumers took advantage of Easter promotions and helped drive up sales at leading U.S. department stores.

Macy's Inc. reported total sales of $1.924 billion for the four weeks ended April 30, an increase of 10.9% compared with total sales of $1.735 billion in the four weeks ended May 1. The company’s same-store sales were up 10.8%, beating Macy’s guidance for comps to be up between 8% and 9%.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Big Lots reported that sales for its first quarter ended April 30 were $1.2 billion, a decrease of 0.5% compared with $.22 billion for the first quarter of fiscal 2010.  Comparable-store sales for stores decreased 3.6% for the first quarter of fiscal 2011.