Sales & Marketing

By Raymond Florio, [email protected]

Bolingbrook, Ill. -- Ulta Beauty reported that its holiday revenue grew 23.2% as sales “strongly” rebounded the weekend before Christmas.

Total sales for the seven-week holiday period were $475.6 million, compared with $386 million in the year-ago period. Same-store sales increased 7.4%, on top of a 12.6% increase during the same period in the prior year.

Atlanta -- Jones Lang LaSalle announced Monday that it has promoted Kristin Mueller to COO.

The firm also announced the establishment of new leadership roles, including the promotion of John Bemis and Geno Coradini to Retail Market Lead in Atlanta/Southeast and Dallas/Southwest, respectively.

Andrea Freeman has joined lease-to-own retailer Aaron’s as VP of marketing.

West Des Moines, Iowa -- Convenience-store operator Kum & Go. opened 43 stores in nine states — more than double its previous record of 21 new stores in 2009 — in 2012, for a total of 430 stores in 11 states. The company plans to continue its growth strategy in the coming years.

“We’re not letting up,” president and CEO Kyle J. Krause said. “Our growth plan for the next five years is just as aggressive.”

RANCHO SANTA FE, Calif. – Co-founder and CEO of The Upper Deck Company Richard P. McWilliam died unexpectedly in his Rancho Santa Fe home Saturday, January 5. He was 59 years old.

McWilliam is credited with transforming the sports trading card business by creating Upper Deck, a company that grew to become a leading sports trading card business and expanded to become a major sports and entertainment company. He drove that growth through continuing innovation to improve the quality, breadth of content and the form and style of trading cards.

WALNUT CREEK, Calif. — Central Garden & Pet Company has named John R. Ranelli as its new president and CEO, effective February 11.

Central Garden & Pet is a leading supplier of branded products for the lawn and garden and pet supplies markets. Ranelli has been a member of its board and a member of the board’s audit committee since 2010. He will remain on Central’s board and current chairman and CEO Bill Brown will remain chairman.

New York -- Office Depot announced that Kevin Peters had resigned from his role as president of the retailer’s North American division, effective immediately.