Sales & Marketing

HERSHEY, Pa. — Just one month after filling in as the interim leader of chocolate giant Hershey, John Bilbrey officially took the reigns as president and CEO of the company.

Bilbrey also was elected to Hershey's board of directors, Hershey said Wednesday. Bilbrey, who served as the company's EVP and COO until May, replaced David West, who exited left his post after 10 years to become the chief executive at Del Monte Foods.

Topeka, Kan. -- Collective Brands, parent to the Payless ShoeSource and StrideRite brands, announced Wednesday that its chairman and CEO Matthew E. Rubel has resigned, effective immediately.

Rubel said in a release that he is leaving to pursue “a new chapter” in his career, and the company has offered no additional explanation.

Collective Brands said it is searching for a permanent replacement.

TOPEKA, Kan. — Matthew Rubel is stepping down as CEO of Collective Brands, the company announced Thursday. Rubel will also give up his role as chairman of the board and as a director for the company. Michael Massey has been named the interim CEO and Scott Olivet has been named the company's non-executive chairman.

Magnolia, Texas -- Jacksonville, Fla.- based Regency Centers said it has leased restaurant space in Magnolia, Texas, at Westwood Village to Five Guys Burgers and Fries.

Five Guys leased 3,127 sq. ft., bringing the center to 97% leased. The restaurant is now open for business.

Westwood Village is a 310,000-sq.-ft. community center anchored by Target, Ross Dress For Less, and T.J. Maxx.

Dallas -- Cypress Equities Cos. said it has expanded its leasing team with the addition of Giancarlo “GC” Carriero, who joins the firm as leasing manager.

Carriero is responsible for developing and leveraging relationships with potential tenants and facilitating leasing solutions for Cypress’ nationwide retail and mixed-use projects. 

He was previously leasing representative for General Growth Properties.
 

Honolulu, Hawaii -- Jones Lang LaSalle announced Thursday it has named commercial real estate veteran Kirk Horiuchi as senior VP in its Retail Division.

In this newly created position, Horiuchi will oversee the company’s leased and managed portfolio, and will be tasked with growing the firm’s third-party retail business in Hawaii.

This sounds like a pretty cool deal. Walmart’s wholly-owned video-on-demand subsidiary Vudu and Sony Pictures Home Entertainment in an exclusive arrangement this week offered a new type of digital move card for the science fiction film, Battle: Los Angeles.

The cards cost $14.96 and went on sale the same day as the Blu-ray and DVDs. The big difference between buying the physical Blu-ray disc or DVD is customers who purchase the card simply enter a code to access the film directly from a computer or more than 300 different Vudu-enabled consumer electronics devices.

New York City -- Wal-Mart Stores is ramping up the opening of its mid-sized Neighborhood Market format, which is being renamed Walmart Market, said  Bill Simon, president and CEO, Walmart U.S., on Wednesday at the William Blair & Co. Growth Stock Conference in Chicago.

The Market stores, which average around 42,000 sq. ft., are delivering returns on the same level as supercenters, Simon said, and can be approved and built in less time.