Retail

Hingham, Mass. — Talbots Inc. posted a bigger-than-expected second-quarter loss on Wednesday, largely due to increased markdowns. The retailer also said that chief creative officer Michael Smaldone has departed the company, effective immediately.

Talbots reported a net loss of $37.3 million for the period ended July 30, compared with a profit of $941,000 a year earlier. Revenue fell 10% to $271.1 million from $300.7 million. Same-stores sales fell 10.4%.

DALLAS — Kimberly-Clark, maker of the limited-edition jeans diaper, has introduced camouflage diapers to its Little Movers line, available exclusively at Walmart. 

Columbus, Ohio -- Casto said Wednesday that Larry Schwenker has joined the firm as VP property management.

Schwenker’s primary focus will be on the organization’s Midwest and Alabama commercial portfolio, which totals approximately 15 million sq. ft.

Schwenker was most recently a principal at Bryant Management Services, based in Atlanta.
 

NAPERVILLE, Ill. and BOCA RATON, Fla. — OfficeMax and Office Depot had very different things to say about their respective back-to-school sales performances during presentations at the Goldman Sachs Annual Global Retailing Conference.

OfficeMax has been experiencing slower sales as consumers continue to be price conscious. In addition, Ravi Saligram, president and CEO of OfficeMax, reported that back-to-school sales are soft and the company is experiencing weaker technology sales.

Chicago -- General Growth Properties, along with more than 130 of its malls, is encouraging employees and local residents in communities across the country to join them as they take pause to commemorate the 10-year anniversary of September 11. 

SAN JOSE, Calif. — eBay has announced that Devin Wenig is joining the company as president of its global eBay Marketplaces business unit, which includes eBay, the world’s leading online marketplace; eBay classifieds sites in more than 1,000 cities worldwide; and StubHub, the world’s largest online tickets marketplace. Wenig will report to eBay Inc. president and CEO John Donahoe.

New York City -- Lowe’s Cos. plans to build a 1.4-million-sq.-ft. distribution center in Rome, Ga.

The facility, due to open in 2013, will service Lowe’s stores in western Georgia, northern Florida and Alabama

 

New York — Starbucks plans to triple the number of outlets it has in China during the next four years, the Associated Press reported.

The company expects to increase the number of shops in China from 470 now to 1,500 by 2015, Asia-Pacific President Wang Jinlong said on Tuesday.

Starbucks also plans to open 700 shops in South Korea by 2016, up from 370 now, the report said.