{"id":329,"date":"2011-08-23T09:49:00","date_gmt":"2011-08-23T13:49:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/newsroom.chainstoreguide.com\/2011\/08\/discount-and-specialty-industry-updates\/"},"modified":"2011-08-23T09:49:00","modified_gmt":"2011-08-23T13:49:00","slug":"discount-and-specialty-industry-updates","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.chainstoreguide.com\/offthechain\/2011\/08\/discount-and-specialty-industry-updates\/","title":{"rendered":"Discount and Specialty Industry Updates"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/p>\n
Personnel Updates:<\/u>
<\/o:p><\/span><\/b><\/div>\n
Barnes & Noble<\/span><\/b> announced that Miwa Messer has been named Director of the Discover Great New Writers program.<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Big Lots, Inc<\/span><\/b>. announced that Joe R. Cooper has been appointed President of Big Lots Canada while retaining his responsibilities as Exec VP and CFO of Big Lots, Inc. <\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Family Dollar Stores<\/span><\/b> announced that it has named Christopher Nielsen to the position of VP Loss Prevention.<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Office Depot<\/span><\/b> has combined its two largest divisions and named Kevin Peters to the new role of President of North America. The change gives Peters, who previously served as President of North American Retail, continuing oversight of the retail group in addition to leadership of the company\u2019s North American Business Solutions Division which is focused on large and mid-size commercial customers.<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n
The change means Steve Schmidt, who previously served as President of the North American business solutions division will assume a new role as Exec VP Corporate Strategy and New Business Development. <\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n
Meanwhile, other executives will take on new or expanded responsibilities. The company named Bob Moore Exec VP and Chief Marketing Officer, while Farla Efros was named interim head of Merchandising.\u00a0 Other changes at the company involved the appointment of Michael Allison as Exec VP HR following the retirement of Daisy Vanderlinde. <\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n
In addition to the departure of Vanderlinde, Monica Luechtefeld, Exec VP of e-Commerce and Direct Marketing, is retiring and her duties will be assumed by Barry Litwin, VP e-Commerce and Christine Buscarino, VP Direct and Customer Marketing.<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
OfficeMax<\/span><\/b> announced that Steve Parsons has been appointed Exec VP and Chief Human Resources Officer.<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Pet Supplies \u201cPlus\u201d<\/span><\/b> announced that Dave Bolen was promoted to President and CEO.\u00a0 \u00a0Harvey Solway has been promoted from CEO to Executive Chairman. <\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Staples<\/span><\/b> has announced the promotion of Christine Putur to CIO.<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Walmart <\/span><\/b>announced that it has named Morten Knudsen to be its new CFO for Asia<\/st1:place>. He replaces Roland Lawrence, one of several Walmart Asia execs who left the company recently for other opportunities.<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Mergers and Acquisitions:<\/o:p><\/u><\/span><\/b><\/div>\n

<\/span><\/b><\/div>\n
Big Lots, Inc<\/span><\/b>. announced the completion of the purchase of Liquidation World Inc. This represents the first expansion of the company\u2019s retail operations outside of the United States<\/st1:place><\/st1:country-region>. <\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Industry Insight:<\/o:p><\/u><\/span><\/b><\/div>\n

<\/span><\/b><\/div>\n
hhgregg<\/span><\/b> has opened 10 new stores in south Florida<\/st1:state><\/st1:place>, launching simultaneous grand-opening celebrations on July 14.\u00a0 The new stores located in Miami<\/st1:city>, Broward and Palm Beach<\/st1:city> counties bring the total number of Hhgregg stores in Florida<\/st1:place><\/st1:state> to 33. The openings are in the communities of Aventura, Boca Raton<\/st1:city>, Ft.<\/st1:placetype> Lauderdale<\/st1:placename>, Hialeah<\/st1:city>, Pembroke Pines<\/st1:city>, Miami<\/st1:city>, Plantation<\/st1:city>, Jensen<\/st1:placename> Beach<\/st1:placetype>, East Wellington and West Palm Beach<\/st1:place><\/st1:city>.<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Hobby Lobby<\/span><\/b> has signed three leases to occupy 227,450 sq. ft. of former Mervyn\u2019s locations in California<\/st1:place><\/st1:state>.\u00a0 The three new stores, firsts to their respective markets, include a 76,211-sq.-ft. location in Temecula, a 76,248-sq.-ft. location in Roseville<\/st1:city> and a 74,991-sq.-ft. location in Rancho Cucamonga<\/st1:place>.\u00a0 The stores are projected to open this fall.<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n
The three Hobby Lobby locations are the second, third and fourth in the state of California<\/st1:state>, following the opening of the first location in Visalia<\/st1:city>, Calif.<\/st1:state><\/st1:place>, last year.<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Walmart <\/span><\/b>opened its first Chicago-area Express store, a 10,000 square foot store that also is said to be an indicator of Walmart\u2019s broader urban strategy.<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Real Estate:<\/o:p><\/u><\/span><\/b><\/div>\n

<\/span><\/b><\/div>\n
Blockbuster Video<\/span><\/b>, under the guise of its new owner, plans to keep 1,500 locations open, closing just 200 stores that it acquired the bankrupt company out of bankruptcy earlier this year.<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Five Below<\/span><\/b> made its Michigan<\/st1:state> debut, opening five stores in the Detroit<\/st1:place><\/st1:city> metro area.\u00a0 Detroit<\/st1:place><\/st1:city> is seen as a pivotal market as it helps bridge the company\u2019s presence in Cleveland and Chicago.\u00a0 The company entered the Chicago<\/st1:city><\/st1:place> market earlier this summer.. The company sees a potential for developing this market to include as many as 25 stores over the next two to three years.<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Meijer<\/span><\/b> announced that it is opening a new concept store in the Chicago<\/st1:city> suburb of Melrose park<\/st1:place> that will provide a tailored grocery offering and a broad variety of general merchandise.\u00a0 Called Meijer Marketplace<\/b>, the new store will be 96,000 sq. ft., about half the size of Meijer’s largest supercenters.\u00a0<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n
Meijer Marketplace is aimed at a more diverse group of customers. Meijer Marketplace grocery offerings will include a focus on Hispanic and Italian foods to better serve the ethnically-diverse community nearby. \u00a0<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n
In addition to grocery, Meijer marketplace will offer a full-service pharmacy.\u00a0 The store will maintain a flexible layout that allows Meijer planners to bring in new items based on customer feedback.<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n
Chicago<\/span><\/st1:place><\/st1:city> has become a hotbed for retail activity, with Walmart breaking ground on the first of its Chicago-area stores and CityTarget opening recently at the Sullivan center. Though Meijer should expect some competition from Walmart and Target, its location of Meijer Marketplace in Melrose Park<\/st1:place> is far enough away from each retailer that it can cement its place as the go-to destination in that community.<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Microsoft <\/span><\/b>hopes to open 75 freestanding Microsoft stores within the next two to three years. <\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Walmart <\/span><\/b>announced its official presence in Chicago<\/st1:city> with the news that it has begun work on a new supercenter in Chatham<\/st1:place><\/st1:city>. According to the company, the store will give more options to residents of Chicago<\/st1:place><\/st1:city>‘s South Side neighborhood while at the same time creating\u00a0approximately 400 jobs. The store, one of nine new locations now planned in the city, is scheduled to open in spring of 2012.<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n
In June 2010, Walmart announced the “Chicago Community Investment Partnership,” a five-year plan to open several dozen stores, create approximately 10,000 jobs and 2,000 unionized construction jobs, generate more than $500 million in sales and property taxes and develop charitable partnerships worth $20 million.<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n
Walmart’s plans in the city include the following projects:<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n