Personnel Updates:
Advance Auto Parts announced the appointment of Kevin Dempsey as VP Global and Front Room Merchandising.
Advance Auto Parts announced the promotion of Kurt Schumacher to Senior VP, National Field Operations. Mr. Schumacher’s responsibilities include leading the operations of the Company’s nearly 3,500 Advance Auto Parts stores and asset protection.
Advance Auto Parts announced the promotion of Joe Gonzalez to Area Senior Vice President. Mr. Gonzalez will be responsible for leading the Company’s store operations in Florida, the Southeast, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
Advance Auto Parts has promoted Rusty Tweedy to area Senior VP, responsible for store operations in the Mid-Atlantic regions.
AutoZone, Inc., announced that Ron Griffin has joined the company as Senior VP and Chief Information Officer, Customer Satisfaction.
Best Buy Co. announced that Hubert Joly, former head of global hospitality company Carlson and turnaround expert, will be the new CEO and President. Joly succeeds Mike Mikan, a board member who has served as interim CEO since April when former CEO Brian Dunn left Best Buy because of what the company called an improper relationship with an employee.
Big Lots, Inc. announced several executive promotions and organizational changes. Lisa M. Bachmann has been promoted to Exec VP, COO. In her new role, she will assume responsibility for Store Operations, while retaining responsibility for the Merchandise Planning and Allocation, Information Technology and Distribution and Transportation Services departments. Ms. Bachmann will continue to serve as the company’s Chief Information Officer.
Charles W. Haubiel II has been promoted to Exec VP, Chief Administrative Officer. In his new role, he will assume responsibility for the Human Resources and Loss Prevention departments, while retaining responsibility for the Legal and Real Estate departments. Mr. Haubiel will continue to serve as the company’s General Counsel and Corporate Secretary.
John C. Martin has been promoted to Exec VP, Chief Merchandising Officer. In his new role, he will assume responsibility for the company’s Merchandising, Global Sourcing and Marketing departments.
Timothy A. Johnson has been promoted to Senior VP, CFO. In his new role, he will assume responsibility for the Treasury and Risk Management departments and will now have responsibility for overseeing all of the financial activities of the company.
Michael A. Schlonsky has been promoted to Senior VP, Human Resources.
Big Lots also announced today that Douglas N. Wurl, Executive VP, Merchandising, has resigned his position with the company.
Driven Brands announced that CEO Ken Walker has retired. The company has appointed Jonathan Fitzpatrick, to replace him as CEO.
Family Dollar Stores Inc. announced that Holly Shaskey-Platek has been appointed to serve as Senior VP Merchandising.
Family Dollar Stores announced that Don P. Hamblen its Senior VP Customer Marketing, has left the company and joined Roundy’s.
Liquor Stores N.A. Ltd., announced that Rick Crook, President & Chief Executive Officer of the Company since 2009, has tendered his resignation as President & Chief Executive Officer and as a member of the Board of Directors. Concurrent with Mr. Crook’s resignation, the Board of Directors has appointed Jim Dinning, Chairman of the Board, to serve as Interim Chief Executive Officer until Rick’s successor is appointed.
The Pep Boys – Manny, Moe & Jack appointed Thomas Carey to the newly created position of Senior VP, Chief Customer Officer. In this new position, Carey will be responsible for guiding the company’s customer experience strategies and tactics, as well as leading the development and execution of its marketing strategies. Carey most recently served as the Senior VP and Chief Marketing Officer for Orchard Supply Hardware.
The Pep Boys – Manny, Moe & Jack announced that David Stern, has joined the company as Exec VP, CFO, effective Sept. 10, where he will oversee the finance function, as well as technology and corporate development. Stern most recently served as Exec VP, Chief Administrative Officer and CFO for A.C. Moore Arts and Crafts.
Restoration Hardware is reorganizing its leadership team to better align with the company’s new strategy to develop new lines of business including apparel, accessories, footwear and jewelry while maintaining existing home business.
In order to execute this plan, Gary Friedman, the current chairman and co-CEO of Restoration Hardware, will become the founder, chairman, and CEO of Hierarchy, a newly created company with Restoration Hardware owning a minority stake. Friedman will continue to be involved with Restoration Hardware in an exclusive advisory role. Friedman will remain the largest individual shareholder of Restoration Hardware and will serve as a non-director advisor to the board in his role as chairman emeritus. Carlos Alberini, co-CEO of Restoration Hardware, will become Restoration Hardware’s sole CEO and will lead all major functions of the business. J. Michael Chu, a managing partner of Catterton Partners, will assume the role of Chairman of the Board of Restoration Hardware.
Shopko has named Craig Gourley as its new Senior VP, GMM Home and Hardlines.
Shopkoannounced that it has expanded the role of Tom Abbott, to now include oversight of the company’s consumables division. His new title will be Senior VP Product Development, GMM Consumables.
Tuesday Morning announced that it has named former Big Lots head Brady Churches as its new CEO, stepping in for former CEO Kathleen Mason who was terminated by the company in June.
Walmart announced that Senior VP Lisa Rhodes has left the company to become CEO for fashion retailer Dots.
Industry Insight:
AutoZone opened its newest store in Wasilla, Alaska. This location marks the company’s 5,000th store and its entry into Alaska.
Everything For A Dollar Store is closing 23 locations across the country as the discount retail chain rebrands itself. The store closings will allow the company to rebrand and open five new locations next month with 12 more in the New Year. The new stores will have a new format, bigger space and a bigger selection.
Ritz Camera & Image LLC, once the largest U.S. chain of specialty camera shops, won court permission to liquidate after failing to find a buyer willing to keep the business and its remaining 137 stores open. The liquidation process has begun.
Target Corp. has begun remodeling 30 stores to expand their fresh-food offerings; construction on all 30 stores is slated for an October 2012 completion.
Toys “R” Us announced that by the end of 2012 it will have opened eight new stores and remodeled 13 existing locations to the side-by-side Toys “R” Us/Babies “R” Us model.
Williams-Sonoma expects to open forty one locations by its current fiscal year end. The company also expects to close thirty three locations during the same time frame. These moves touch each of the company’s store nameplates.
Real Estate:
hhgregg still plans 20 to 22 new store openings in fiscal 2013 despite recent challenging financials.
Pet Supplies Plus has signed leases for three new stores in the Delaware Valley, totaling more than 26,000 sq. ft. All three stores are slated to open prior to year’s end.
Green Initiatives/Sustainability:
Costco has begun selling EcoScraps, which is composed of overripe produce that would otherwise have rotted is the feedstock, for the startup manufacturer’s organic compost and potting soil.
Office Depot’s store in Portland, Ore., will be the country’s first to offer products bearing the EcoSense label for electronic merchandise. Products with the EcoSense label will be identified with Gold, Silver, and Bronze ratings based on criteria that reflect several categories of environmental attributes, covering the full life-cycle of electronic products.
Walmart Stores Inc. has introduced its first onsite large-scale wind turbine project, unveiled at its DC in Red Bluff, Calif. The wind turbine, expected to be operational by this fall, will provide roughly one megawatt of power or 15% to 20% of the distribution center’s yearly electrical use. The GE SLE 1.0 megawatt wind turbine, equal to the height of a 20-story building, is projected to produce approximately 2,200,000 kilowatt hours annually. Under the power purchase agreement, Foundation Windpower installs, owns, and operates the wind turbine and Walmart purchases the power produced under a long-term agreement. The installation will move Walmart closer to its goal to be supplied by 100% renewable energy.
Wal-Mart Stores announced that its new store in Portland, Ore., will feature the state’s largest green roof. The 90,000-sq.-ft. store, which recently broke ground in North Portland, will be topped by a 40,600-sq.-ft. green roof, surpassing by more than 10,000 sq. ft. the current largest green roof over the Ramona apartment complex in Portland.
Technology News:
Walmart has launched new applications for the iPhone and iPad designed to give its customers tools to plan their weekly shopping trips as well as a new way to access Walmart both in-store and online. The new apps will enable millions of customers to enjoy an enhanced, seamless shopping experience across Walmart’s 3,800 U.S. stores and Walmart.com through mobile devices. The announcement builds on Walmart’s commitment to technology innovation for the next generation of commerce. The two free applications are the first of several mobile products to be rolled out from the recently formed WalmartLabs group under Walmart’s Global eCommerce unit. The iPhone application features new updates that include smart shopping lists with integrated access to manufacturers’ coupons and support for QR code scanning. Walmart’s first-ever iPad application delivers a rich experience that allows customers to browse, search and purchase their favorite items online, as well as the ability to browse the inventory of their local store from the comfort of their home.
