Supply Chain & Merchandising

By Karen Lowe, [email protected]

New York -- Online shopping site Gilt has appointed Tracey Weber as COO, effective Sept. 3.  She will have responsibility for many of Gilt's operations, including Gilt City, international, customer service, and merchandise planning, as well as oversee several new strategic initiatives.
   
Weber joins Gilt from Citibank, where she was the managing director, North America Internet and mobile and global product.

Washington, D.C. -- Following negative numbers in four of the last five months, import volume at the nation’s major retail container ports is expected to grow 1.7% in August over the same month last year and should continue to see gains through the holiday season and the remainder of 2013, according to the monthly Global Port Tracker report released Tuesday by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates. The year is expected to end with a 2.4% increase over 2012.

Boise, Idaho — WinCo Foods will open a 90,000-sq.-ft. discount supermarket in Bellingham, Wash., on Thursday.

The new store will initially employ 171. The employee-owned discount food chain operates 88 stores and typically ranks as the low priced leader in the markets where it operates.

NORTHRIDGE, Calif. — Pharmavite LLC, one of the largest U.S. manufacturers of vitamins, minerals and other dietary supplements, has appointed Timothy Toll as its new EVP of sales.

Virginia Beach, Va. — Two Firehouse Subs shops opened Monday, an 1,800-sq.-ft. location in Virginia Beach’s Strawbridge area and a 2,400-sq.-ft. location in Hampton’s Coliseum Central.

Divaris Real Estate represented the sub shop in negotiations for each location.

BENTON HARBOR, Mich. — Whirlpool Corporation has entered into agreements to become a majority shareholder in Hefei Rongshida Sanyo Electric Co. Ltd., a leading home appliances manufacturer based in Hefei, China.

Through this transaction, a Whirlpool Corporation subsidiary will acquire all shares currently owned by Sanyo Electric Co. Ltd. and Sanyo Electric Co. (China) Ltd., and purchase new Hefei Sanyo shares via a private placement.

New York — Snack Taverna, the popular West Village restaurant in New York City, has signed a lease to extend its concept into a 1,100-sq.-ft. space in Hell’s Kitchen, according to Winick Realty Group, which represented the tenant in the transaction.