Retail

J.C. Penney late Thursday announced that chief operating officer Michael W. Kramer had left the company.

His departure was disclosed in an 8-K filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. In connection with Kramer’s departure, he received a lump sum cash payment of $2,143,414. In addition, the company also disclosed that Daniel Walker had resigned as the company’s chief talent officer.

Fredericksburg, Va. -- Youngstown, Ohio-based Cafaro Co. said that J. Jill will open a new store at Spotsylvania Towne Centre. The 3,700-sq.-ft. location is slated to open in July at The Village at Towne Centre, between Firebirds Wood Fired Grill and Cache.  

J. Jill will join The Buckle, opening April 25, and Chico’s, which is expected to open May 1.

Target may not cater to exactly the same shopper as Walmart, but there is enough overlap between the two companies to know that reports of weakness out of Minneapolis are never a good sign in Bentonville.

Cleveland -- Forest City Enterprises said that, as its Short Pump Town Center celebrates 10 years in the Richmond, Va., market, it has launched a “Drawing Board” on Popularise, an online crowdsourcing and community engagement tool that focuses on real estate development.

With 6,700 stores in 12 markets, Tesco is a formidable competitor globally, but Walmart won’t have to worry about competing with the company on its home turf.

New York -- Dick Lynch has joined the SD Retail Consulting division of Hilco Trading as SVP merchandising and strategy.

In his new role, Lynch will be responsible for helping retailers create shareholder value through process, organization and technology enhancements in the key merchandising and inventory management functions. He will also play a key role in assisting management, owners and lenders in shareholder value creation assignments.

Boston -- Research findings released Thursday by mobile-retail marketer Swirl found that a full 76% of women prefer shopping in stores over shopping via their smartphones.

“What Women Want When Apparel Shopping,” which polled 1,000 women shoppers, also revealed that 53% of women have between one and five shopping apps on their smartphones. Yet, still, they opt for the store experience.

Dick Lynch has joined the SD Retail Consulting division of Hilco Trading as SVP of merchandising and strategy.

In his new role, Lynch will be responsible for helping retailers create shareholder value through process, organization and technology enhancements in the key merchandising and inventory management functions. He will also play a key role in assisting management, owners and lenders in shareholder value creation assignments.