Sales & Marketing

By Eric White, [email protected]

WAYNE, N.J. — A company that specializes in "As Seen on TV" products has named a new chief operating officer.

Ron Boger, who currently serves as EVP of IdeaVillage, will take on the COO role. He will work with company founder Anand Khubani in launching new and innovative products in the mass market.

Boger is credited with bringing such products as SlimShots, Yoshi ceramic knife, Fushigi ball, and Criss Angel MindFreak magic kits and tricks and more under the IdeaVillage banner and into the mass market.

New York City -- OSI Restaurant Partners LLC, operators of Bonefish Grill and Outback Steakhouse as well as several other restaurant chains, told securities analysts that it planned to remodel as many as 150 Outback Steakhouse units and focus of expanding its Bonefish Grill brand this year.

OSI operates or franchises 968 Outback Steakhouses, 152 Bonefish Grills, 233 Carrabba’s Italian Grills, 64 Fleming’s units and 22 Roy’s locations.

The $33 million profit Office Depot posted in 2010 turned into a $46 million loss late Thursday after the company released restated financial results that reflected an unfavorable tax ruling by the Internal Revenue Service.

New York City -- Macy’s is undertaking a multi-million dollar remodel of its store in Chicago’s Water Tower Place, the Chicago Tribune reported.

The eight-floor, 227,000-sq.-ft. department store was last renovated in 1996, when it operated as Marshall Field’s. It became Macy’s in 2006.

The new décor will include a white ceramic floor, brighter lights and silver accents, the report said. The store’s first three levels will receive the lion’s share of the updates.

Seattle -- Nordstrom announced plans to open a Nordstrom Rack in Boise, Idaho.

The 37,000-sq.-ft. store will be part of the Boise Towne Plaza shopping center and is expected to open in spring 2012.

MONTVALE, N.J. — Grocer A&P is launching a discount program that offers seniors savings on groceries purchased at A&P, Pathmark, Waldbaum's, Food Emporium and Superfresh banner stores.

On April 4, the company is launching its "Senior Appreciation Days" program, starting with "Senior Appreciation Mondays," a new special discount program for seniors in all Pathmark banner stores.

CAMP HILL, Pa. — Overall same-store sales at Rite Aid decreased during March while pharmacy and prescription sales increased, the pharmacy retailer said Thursday.

Compared with last year, front-end same-store sales decreased by 1.8% during the four-week period that ended March 26, which the 4,711-store chain attributed to Easter falling on a later date this year, April 24, than last year, when it occurred on April 4.