Sales & Marketing

Atlanta -- First Data Corp. said Thursday that it has entered into an agreement with Kohl’s Department Stores to provide payment processing services for the company’s private brand credit-card accounts.

The multi-year agreement calls for First Data to provide Kohl’s with credit-card processing, customer analytics, risk-management services and automated customer service workflow tools.

Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

Wal-Mart Stores earlier this week denied rumors that it would consider opening banks in Chile and Argentina.

The reports are “completely untrue,” Wal-Mart spokesman Kevin Gardner told Bloomberg in an e-mailed response to questions.

AMSTERDAM, The Netherlands -- Ahold reported that net sales for its U.S. division increased 6% to $5.6 billion for the fourth quarter. Identical-store sales for the quarter increased 1.9%(0.9% excluding gasoline), and comparable sales were up 2.1%.

For the full year the company reported net sales of $23.5 billion increased b y  5.1% when compared to the adjusted full year 2009 sales. Identical sales were up 1.5% (0.4% excluding gasoline).

Cincinnati -- A survey released Thursday by Cintas Corp. found that 99% of U.S. adults say poor cleanliness negatively impacts their perception of a retail store.

In the telephone survey conducted by Harris Interactive among more than 1,000 U.S. adults ages 18 and older, respondents said that dirty restrooms and unpleasant odors are more annoying than poor customer service.

Mooresville, N.C. -- Lowe's Cos. said Thursday that executive VP and chief information officer Steven Stone is leaving the company in order to pursue other interests.

Lowe’s said it has named current executive VP store operations and Lowes.com Michael Brown as Stone’s successor.

Brown will report to chairman and CEO Robert Niblock.

New York City -- New York & Co. announced on Wednesday the appointment of David Witkewicz to executive VP design, effective this month.

Witkewicz will report to Greg Scott, president, and will serve on the company’s executive committee.

Witkewicz was previously VP design for Coach.

A new poll regarding Walmart's possible entry in New York yielded quite different responses than the one the world's largest retailer featured on its promotional website. According to the New York Daily News, a survey of 300 small retail shop owners throughout the city overwhelmingly said they would not welcome a Walmart in their neighborhood.

WASHINGTON — Retailers are ready to expand again, and likely will do so as the economy picks up, according to a new survey conducted by the charitable arm of the National Retail Federation and KPMG.