Sales & Marketing

CTPartners, a leading global retained executive search firm, has appointed Jefferey DeFazio to be a partner in firm’s consumer and retail practice based in San Francisco.

DeFazio has worked with leading global brands in the consumer and retail industry, placing board members and senior executives in multinational companies, and has also recruited for smaller fast-growing private equity- and venture capital-backed organizations. He joins CTPartners from another major search firm where he spent three years leading the consumer practice on the West Coast.

New York -- Twitter has hired J.J. Hirschle, who directed media and entertainment advertising at Google, as its head of retail, according to various media reports. The hire comes as the online messaging giants works to expand its business ahead of its initial public offering. Hirschle will be responsible for the team selling advertising products to retail companies.

Hirschle is to start on Oct. 28, the same day Twitter is expected to launch its investor roadshow. Twitter announced at the beginning of October that it plans to go public.

Twitter has hired Google advertising executive J.J. Hirschle to head retail as the company prepares to expand its business ahead of an initial public offering, according to Bloomberg.

The article states that Hirschle will direct the team responsible for selling advertising products to retail companies. He starts his new role at Twitter Monday, Oct. 28.

Click here to read the entire Bloomberg report.

Foothill Ranch, Calif. – The Wet Seal Inc. revising its financial guidance for the third quarter of fiscal 2013 ending November 2, 2013. The company now expects to report a same-store sales increase in the low-single digits, compared to previously forecast mid-single digits, as well as a larger net loss than previously estimated.

Advance Auto Parts plans to acquire General Parts International in an all-cash transaction worth $2.04 billion. The transaction has been approved by the boards of directors of both companies.

General Parts International is a leading privately held distributor and supplier of original equipment and aftermarket replacement products for commercial markets operating under the Carquest and Worldpac brands.

New York -- Uniqlo has opened a pop-up store in the 14th Street-Union Square subway station in Manhattan. The store, which will be open through the holidays, will offer shoppers will get a $5 Metro Card in a limited-edition sleeve with any purchase.
 
“This shop fits perfectly with our strong belief in the fundamental power of clothing to improve people’s lives, and our hope is that it will provide people with comfort and warmth during the winter season,” said Larry Meyer, COO of Uniqlo USA.
 

By Todd Maute, [email protected]

The NPD Group has released the results of its holiday spending survey, the 12th annual survey of consumers’ holiday spending intentions. According to the report, the majority of consumers intend to spend the same as or more than last year, with fewer saying they plan to spend less.

This year’s results found that 12% of U.S. consumers who were surveyed plan to spend more, while 67% said they plan to spend about the same and 21% said they plan to spend less.