Sales & Marketing

CINCINNATI — Kroger has become a member of the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Million Dollar Club. The USHCC Million Dollar Club recognizes corporations that are leaders in supplier diversity and integrating Hispanic business enterprises into their strategic sourcing and procurement process. Corporations qualify by spending between $25 million to more than $500 million with Hispanic suppliers in the previous year.

This is Kroger's third consecutive year of qualifying for membership.

Fairlawn, Ohio -- Charter Realty & Development announced it has arranged -- in conjunction with Julius Feinblum Real Estate -- for a 27,587-sq.-ft. lease for Ashley Furniture and an 11,284-sq.-ft. lease for Pet Supplies Plus in the Fairlawn Town Centre in Fairlawn, Ohio.

The shopping center is anchored by Target, Home Goods, Giant Eagle, Marc’s and USPS.

MATTHEWS, N.C. — Family Dollar has inked a partnership with a national leader in health-and-wellness solutions to further drive the retailer's commitment to proactively engage in activities that encourage healthy living.

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.
 

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.

New York -- Only 58% of consumer product goods executives view dollar stores as a strategic channel, according to Deloitte’s new Dollar Store Strategies for National Brands study. Deloitte advises that CPG companies may not be keeping pace with the explosive growth of the $56 billion dollar store industry, and should act now to maximize market share and profits.

In other survey highlights: 

New York -- J.C. Penney Co. has partnered with Giggle, a New York-based upscale baby specialty store chain, to debut an exclusive collection of Giggle-branded merchandise next fall, Crain’s New York reported.

The new line is one of the many branded in-store shops that are now in the works at J.C. Penney.

FOOTHILL RANCH, Calif. — Wet Seal merchandising executive, Harriet Sustarsic has left the company to become SVP, general merchandise manager for True Religion Brand Jeans.

Sustarsic was serving as division chief merchandising officer and will remain with the company until Oct. 19 to assist with the transition. Kim Bajrech and Debbie Shinn have assumed senior leadership of the Wet Seal merchandising organization, which they previously shared on an interim basis from November 2009 through November 2011.