CINCINNATI — Kroger Co. on Tuesday announced two executive promotions designed to support its Restock Kroger initiative. Steve McKinney, currently president of the Fry’s Food Stores division, has been named senior vice president of retail divisions, effective February 5. Monica Garnes, who currently corporate vice president of produce-floral merchandising, will succeed McKinney as Fry’s division
KANSAS CITY — Hallmark Cards Inc. is filling store shelves with its premium Hallmark Signature cards featuring new licensed content, innovations and Valentine’s Day cards. The company said its Signature Valentine’s Day cards feature detailed dimensional paper craftwork as well as new alternative wood materials with laser craft details that add an extra element to
NEW YORK — Walmart is increasingly becoming a technology company, seeing its transformation into an omnichannel retailer as critical to its continued growth. But Walmart president and chief executive officer Doug McMillon insists that retailing is still a people business, and “our people will ultimately be the way that we win.” McMillon spoke about people
BENTONVILLE, Ark. — Judith McKenna has been named president and chief executive officer of Walmart International. McKenna, who has been executive vice president and chief operating officer of Walmart U.S., will take charge of Walmart’s second-largest operating segment on February 1. She succeeds David Cheesewright, who has headed Walmart International since 2014 and will retire
BOISE, Idaho — After 40 years of service, Albertsons Cos. president and chief operating officer Wayne Denningham is stepping down at the end of the fiscal year, the company announced earlier this month. The company also named Susan Morris as executive vice president and chief operations officer, overseeing the company’s supply chain, manufacturing and operations
WOONSOCKET, R.I. — CVS Health is bringing more transparency to beauty care marketing with the introduction of the CVS Beauty Mark, a watermark that highlights imagery that hasn’t been materially altered. Plans call for the CVS Beauty Mark to begin appearing on CVS Pharmacy-produced beauty images — including imagery for stores, websites, social media and
WASHINGTON — The National Retail Federation (NRF) and the Retail Industry Leaders Association each welcomed the decision by the U.S. Supreme Court to reenter the dispute over whether states should be able to require online retailers to collect and remit state sales taxes. Retailers and others had been expecting the court to take up the
HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. — Sears Holdings Corp. has raised $100 million in new financing and is pursuing an additional $200 million. The company also amended existing notes to increase its borrowing base advance rate for inventory and defer its collateral coverage test and restart it with the second quarter of 2018. Sears Holdings furthermore is
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Lidl’s entrance into the United States last June prompted rival grocers to lower prices on key staples by as much as 55% at stores in the vicinity of the Lidl outlets, according to a study released January 10 by the University of North Carolina Kenan-Flagler Business School. The study was led
SEATTLE — Retail veteran Kathi Lentzsch has been appointed chief executive officer of Bartell Drugs. She succeeds Brian Unmacht, who resigned last spring. Unmacht was the first person outside of the Bartell family to head the company. Lentzsch has more than three decades of retail experience, with executive positions in companies including Pier 1 Imports
NEW YORK — Consumers have specific demands, especially when shopping online, according to the most recent issue of “Consumer View,” a report issued by the National Retail Federation. Online shoppers, the NRF finds, expect to get their merchandise delivered quickly and for free. “Consumers today want what they want when they want it and they
SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. — Stater Bros. Markets has promoted George Frahm to company president, in one of a series of leadership changes at the privately held grocery chain. Frahm, who reports directly to chief executive officer Pete Van Helden, began his grocery career in 1973 as a clerk’s helper and janitor at the Stater Bros.