Sales & Marketing

Grand Rapids, Mich. -- Meijer is investing more than $160 million in new store construction and remodeling.

The investment includes the construction of six new Meijer supercenters, and five major remodel projects.  Michigan, Indiana and Illinois will each welcome two new Meijer supercenters. The remodels planned at an additional four Michigan stores and one Meijer location in Illinois.

STAMFORD, Conn. -- GE Capital Retail Bank, a consumer lending unit of General Electric Company (GE), has renewed its private label credit card program with JCPenney.

The JCP consumer card program provides credit to millions of consumers who shop at more than 1,100 JCPenney stores in communities across the United States and Puerto Rico, as well as online at JCP.com. 

Dallas -- Corner Bakery Cafe announced plans to open 16 restaurants in six counties in the greater New York City area as part of a recent multi-unit agreement with CBCWSNY. The group of restaurant operators plans to open its first restaurant in 2013 and the remaining sites over the next six years.

Corner Bakery Cafe opened 20 new cafes and signed another 125 cafes in 2012, raising the total to 147 open cafes and 288 cafes under development, as the company moves forward on its goal to double its U.S. footprint by the end of 2015.

WAYNE, N.J. — Gerald Storch, is vacating his role as CEO of Toys"R"Us after seven years of service. He will retain his title of chairman of the board and will continue as CEO until a successor is found.

Storch joined Toys'R'Us in February 2006 after spending more than 10 years at Target in roles of increasing seniority. At Target, Storch helped develop the Super Target concept and grow the company's grocery business. Prior to joining Target, he was a partner at McKinsey & Company, specializing in retail and financial services.

New York -- Gander Mountain is giving more space to guns and related accessories at store at its store in Reynoldsburg, Ohio. The outdoors retailer has renovated the location into the Gander Mtn. Firearms Super Center.

The redesigned Reynoldsburg store offers thousands of new and used firearms, along with broad selection of firearms accessories, specialty apparel and ammunition. It has firearms specialists on duty to give shoppers personalized service.

CHICAGO — Hilco Trading has named Farla Efros as EVP and COO of its SD Retail Consulting unit. The move is part of the company's strategic efforts to expand the breadth and depth of its senior management team. In her new role, Efros will be responsible for the firm’s merchandising and strategy practice area.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — In a survey of more than 6,200 consumers collected during the peak holiday shopping season between Thanksgiving and Christmas, Amazon scored highest among 25 of the top mobile commerce companies in terms of customer satisfaction, according to a report released Tuesday by ForeSee. 

Chicago -- National retail sales will increase 3.2% and retail foot traffic will increase 3.5% for the first quarter of 2013 when compared to the same period last year, according to ShopperTrak, a leading counter of retail foot traffic.