Sales & Marketing

Columbus, Ohio -- Domino’s Pizza’s new “Pizza Theater” store design, developed in partnership with strategic branding and design firm Chute Gerdeman, brings the art and skill of pizza-making front and center.

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. — Kmart and Sears are eliminating layaway service fees, starting a layaway home-delivery service and new in-store mobile features for what the company expects to be the busiest shopping season since 2007.

EAST CLEVELAND, Ohio — GE Lighting has named John Strainic, a leader with a as head of the business’s North America Consumer Lighting operation. In this newly created role, Strainic will be responsible for driving growth for GE Lighting’s North America consumer business.

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Fred's will now offer Western Union prepaid cards at 645 stores in 15 states.

Available cards will include the MoneyWise and Gold Card MasterCards and the Western Union Telemundo MasterCard. All three of the cards can be used anywhere debit MasterCard is accepted, including at ATMs and for online shopping. Cards can be “topped up” or reloaded with cash at one of 45,000 Western Union Agent locations in the United States or at any Fred’s location that offers the cards.

Hoffman Estates, Ill. -- Kmart and Sears are gearing up for the holiday shopping season with the elimination of layaway service fees, a new layaway home delivery service and an enhanced in-store mobile experience.

New York -- Hennes & Mauritz AB has cut a deal to open in Manhattan’s Times Square, the New York Post reported.

According to the report, H&M will move into the three-floor, 42,510-sq.-ft. space at 4 Times Square that was previously occupied by the restaurant ESPN Zone. The space, which has been vacant for some two years, includes two huge billboards that wrap above the store’s facade along Broadway and West 42nd Street.

Retail sales in September decelerated from August at many of Walmart’s competitors, but overall demand remained positive judging from the shrinking number of companies who continue to report monthly results.

Discounters The TJX Cos. and Ross Stores reported September same-store sales that rose 6% and 5%, respectively. The figures exceeded both companies’ expectations and shoppers continue to respond to their brand of apparel retail.

Dallas -- Davaco announced that the company offers shop-in-shop solutions for soft and hard-line brands that are implementing nationwide programs involving new or existing shops within department or big box stores. Davaco provides clients with a fully integrated approach to shop-in-shop rollouts that can include fixture manufacturing, site surveys, logistics/consolidation, as well as installation and merchandising after installation.