Sales & Marketing

BRUSSELS — Belgian supermarket operator Delhaize Group, which operates the Food Lion, Bottom Dollar Food, Harveys, Hannaford Supermarkets, Reid's and Sweetbay regional banners in the United States, said Thursday it will close 113 Food Lion stores and eliminate the Bloom banner as part of a reorganization. The Fool Lion stores slated for closure are primarily in markets in which the company has the least store density.

Oakbrook Terrace, Ill. -- Mid-America Real Estate Corp. announced the promotions of two senior VPs to partners.

Andy Bulson is responsible for the management of Mid-America’s Suburban Tenant Representation Team, representing numerous national retailers throughout the Chicagoland area. Dan Tausk oversees Mid-America’s Urban Retail Team, representing both retail landlords and tenants in urban Chicago and its neighborhoods.

NEW YORK — Kohl's is the recipient of the People’s Pick award in The Harris Poll Customer Relationship Series, conducted by Harris Interactive. The award cognizes the strength of consumers' bonds with mid-tier department stores and reflects the customers' connections and future intentions.

Plymouth Meeting, Pa. – Philadelphia-based Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust announced that Charming Charlie will open a new store at Plymouth Meeting Mall, located in suburban Philadelphia.

The new 12,000-sq.-ft. store is slated to open spring 2012. It completes the center’s recently developed outdoor lifestyle retail wing, which is anchored by Whole Foods Market and Café and features Loft, Orvis, Chico’s, Coldwater Creek, Jos. A Bank, Olly Shoes and Massage Envy.

San Jose, Calif. -- VeriFone Systems announced Thursday that outdoor retailer Eastern Mountain Sports has successfully piloted the VeriFone GlobalBay iPad solution in four stores and is readying a 2012 rollout.

The VeriFone GlobalBay platform is a software-as-a-service offering that enables a suite of next-generation mobile retail software for retailer-to-consumer interaction and leverages retailers' existing POS, e-commerce and store systems.

New York City -- Attendees at the 2012 National Retail Federation convention (“The Big Show”) in  New York who donate $20 to The Retail Orphan Initiative (RetailROI) will take home a Build-A-Bear Teddy Bear. The annaul event will be held Jan. 15 -18, at the Jacob Javits Center.

In an initiative designed to raise funds for charities sponsored by RetailROI, Oracle is providing 2,000 Build-A-Bear Teddy Bears dressed in a custom RetailROI t-shirt at its booth on the exhibit floor (booth #1319).

New York City -- Kohl's is the recipient of the People’s Pick award in The Harris Poll Customer Relationship Series, conducted by Harris Interactive. The award cognizes the strength of consumers' bonds with mid-tier department stores and reflects the customers' connections and future intentions.

ARLINGTON, Va. — The Retail Industry Leaders Association announced that Kirt Johnson will join the association as VP tax policy. 

An expert with nearly 30 years of experience navigating tax policy on Capitol Hill and in the private sector, Johnson will lead RILA’s tax agenda, including the pursuit of comprehensive tax reform. Johnson will also provide support to RILA’s aggressive campaign to level the playing field in terms of sales tax collection between Main Street retailers and their online competitors.