Retail

Dayton, Ohio -- Interbrand, a leading global brand consultancy, announced Wednesday that Lee Carpenter is leaving his current position as CEO of the North America region. Carpenter, CEO of Interbrand North America since 2007, will step down from his full-time role, effective July 23. He will continue to advise Interbrand during the next three months, but has decided to focus his attention on other personal opportunities.   

Sales at Tractor Supply’s 1,331 stores topped $1.5 billion during the first quarter but decelerating comp store growth and cool spring weather weighed on profit growth.

Sales at the nation’s largest rural lifestyle retailer increased 8.8% to $1.58 billion from $1.46 billion while same store sales advanced 1.9% on top of a prior year gain of 7.2%. Profits during the company’s second quarter ended June 28 increased 8% to $133.4 million, or 95 cents a share, compared to $123.6 million, or 87 cents a share.

Dallas — SRS Real Estate Partners has hired Daniel Poku as an associate in the Dallas/Fort Worth office. A newcomer to the industry, Poku has a background in economics.

Poku is a recent graduate of Southern Methodist University. Poku is also currently pursuing a new venture called CauseCakes, with plans to launch fall 2014. CauseCakes partnered with a local bakery to provide cupcakes with wrappers that prompt acts of random kindness for special events and corporate meetings.

Bentonville, Ark. - Sam’s Club will open a new store in Oxford, Alabama, on July 24. The store will bring 170 jobs to the community

A number of health and wellness services will also be available, including a pharmacy, optical center and hearing aid center.

A $500,000 grant from the Sam’s Club Giving Program will help fund an innovative program to provide technical assistance to small child care operators in low income communities.

New York – The National Labor Relations Board has issued a ruling that workers in the cosmetics and fragrances department in a Macy’s store located in Saugus, Massachusetts, have the right to attempt to unionize. According to the Wall Street Journal, the 3-1 ruling sided with the United Food and Commercial Workers union and said the 41 Macy’s employees form a community of interest.

Timberland has elevated Stewart Whitney to brand president, effective Oct. 5. Whitney, who has led Timberland’s growth in the Asia Pacific region since 2008, will report to Patrik Frisk, who has held the position since the brand’s 2011 acquisition by VF Corporation and was promoted to coalition president, Outdoor Americas for VF, in April.

San Jose, Calif. - On average, consumers say 64% of their back-to-school shopping will take place in-store, the rest online via computer or mobile device. A new survey of 1,001 U.S. parents with school-age children from customer experience solutions provider Baynote and The E-tailing Group also shows that 40% of consumers say that paper catalogs influence their in-store purchases, more than any other channel.