Retail

Washington, D.C. - The National Retail Federation (NRF) today announced the development of a new Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Council to serve as an advertising and marketing voice for the retail industry. The organization’s Retail Advertising and Marketing Association (RAMA) will transition into the newly created council.

Virginia Beach, Va. — Leslie’s Poolmart has signed a lease for 5,200 sq. ft. in the Academy Crossing Shopping Center in Portsmouth, Va. Divaris Real Estate represented the landlord, Midlantic Builders VA in the transaction.

Other tenants at Academy Crossing include Coldwell Banker, Gymboree, Beadworks, Serenity Nails and Rita’s Pizza.

The International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) is forecasting a 3.4% sales increase for the traditional November-December holiday period from last year — which spells good news for retailers. 

ICSC also anticipates that the other two measures of U.S. industry holiday sales — shopping-center inclined sales +3.4%, and chain-store sales +2.0 — will both increase over last year.

Davenport, Iowa -- Von Maur Department Stores will open its 29th store at Riverchase Galleria Mall in Hoover, Ala., on Nov. 2. Located just outside of Birmingham, Ala., the three-level, 185,000-sq.-ft. store will be the company's first location in Alabama and will become one of Von Maur's largest stores in the country.

OfficeMax EVP and chief digital officer Jim Barr has been elected to Shop.org’s board of directors for a two-year term.

Shop.org, the digital arm of the National Retail Federation, is the world's leading community for digital retail, offering thought leadership through original research and gold standard events. The community's exclusive networking groups and committees lead the global conversation surrounding innovative e-commerce trends and digital retail.

Off-price retailers have traditionally stayed offline when it comes to conducting actual retail transactions. While most off-price retailers have long operated informational sites where customers can perform tasks such as locating nearby stores and checking prices, it has been very rare for retailers in this space to allow customers to buy goods via the Internet. Until now.

Von Maur plans to open its 29th store at Riverchase Galleria Mall in Hoover, Ala., on Nov. 2. Located just outside of Birmingham, Ala., the three-level, 185,000-sq.-ft. store will be the company's first location in Alabama as well as one of the retailer’s largest stores in the country.

Bentonville, Ark. -- Walmart announced that Kathleen McLaughlin, 48, has been named president of the Walmart Foundation, effective Oct. 15.

In addition to leading corporate giving, she will have responsibility for the company's global sustainability, women's economic empowerment initiatives and healthier food initiatives.

McLaughlin, previously a senior partner at global consulting firm McKinsey & Company, is a dual American-Canadian citizen and was based in Toronto.