Plano, Texas — J. C. Penney Company, Inc. has hired Karl Walsh, an executive with more than 18 years of e-commerce expertise, as senior vice president, chief digital officer. Walsh will report to Shawn Gensch, executive vice president, chief customer officer. “We are thrilled to welcome Karl to JCPenney as we drive the renewal of our company and showcase our brand strategy through exceptional, seamless experiences for our customers,” says Gensch. “Nearly 90% of shoppers begin their path to purchase online, so Karl’s background of building and executing digital strategies …
retailers
Canton, Mass. — Destination XL Group, Inc., a leading omni-channel specialty retailer of men’s Big + Tall clothing and shoes, has added Ujjwal Dhoot to its team as chief digital officer, effective December 16, 2019. He will report to Erica Thompson, chief marketing officer. Prior to joining DXL, Dhoot held senior marketing positions with FSAstore.com, Charming Charlie and PetCareRx.com. At DXL, he will be responsible for all digital initiatives, including building the brand digitally, driving traffic to stores, mobile commerce, e-commerce, and the company’s overarching digital marketing strategy. “We are …
Miramar, Fla. — Konover South LLC, in partnership with Master Development Partners of Dania Beach, Fla., will break ground on its upscale 56,600-square-foot Miramar Park Place retail center in Miramar, Fla., west of Hollywood, in the first quarter of 2020. The center is slated to include a Flanigan’s Restaurant and Liquors, Pediatric Associates, a national coffee chain, plus neighborhood services when opened in the second quarter of 2021. “Konover South is excited to bring Miramar Park Place to this thriving community in partnership with Robert Shapiro and Terry Salzman of …
Paris and New York City — LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE (LVMH), the world’s leading luxury group, and Tiffany & Co., the global luxury jeweler, have entered into a definitive agreement whereby LVMH will acquire Tiffany for $135 per share in cash, in a transaction with an equity value of approximately €14.7 billion or $16.2 billion. The transaction is expected to close in the middle of 2020. For more than 180 years, Tiffany has been synonymous with elegance, innovative design, fine craftsmanship and creative excellence. Founded in 1837 when …
Boca Raton, Fla. — Joseph T. Lower, executive vice president and chief financial officer of Office Depot, Inc., intends to leave the company on January 10, 2020. He will assume the role of chief financial officer at AutoNation, Inc. “We are grateful to Joe for his leadership over the past 2 years in advancing our transformation efforts and wish him every success in the future,” says Gerry Smith, Office Depot’s chief executive officer. “Joe is supported by an outstanding finance organization that will continue to serve the company and its …
New York City — This month, Studs, a new ear piercing experience that enables consumers to express themselves through earscaping, launches nationwide online and in its first brick-and-mortar location in New York City’s Nolita neighborhood. The company plans to expand its physical retail presence to additional locations in 2020. Founded by Anna Harman and Lisa Bubbers, Studs was created to modernize the traditional “mall piercing” experience. By combining healthy ear piercing services with omnichannel retail operations and a wide assortment of accessibly-priced earrings, the company offers consumers a seamless path …
Tampa, Fla. — Six Sprouts Farmers Market grocery stores in Florida have been awarded Manomet’s Grocery Stewardship Certification (GSC), bringing the total number of Sprouts stores in the GSC to 90. The GSC recognizes Sprouts’ commitment to operational best practices that reduce a store’s environmental impact, reduce operating costs and save resources. The certification for the Florida stores is the latest sustainability milestone for Sprouts, one of the fastest-growing retailers in the country. “Sprouts Farmers Market takes sustainability seriously,” says Peter Cooke, director of retail sustainability for Manomet. “Sprouts believes …
Orlando, Fla. — Orlando, Fla.-based Williams Company Southeast has started seven more Target store remodels in Florida and Texas for a total of 15 Target stores in 2019. The newest work in Florida involves stores in Brandon, Deerfield Beach, Ft. Myers, Ocala and St. Petersburg, while the Texas stores include Houston and Pearland. The scope of work includes exteriors and interiors and follows Target’s next-gen store design to further enhance the guest shopping experience. Since 1990, Williams has constructed over 100 new Target stores plus more than 200 Target store …
Hoffman Estates, Ill. — Sears Holdings Corp. plans to close 96 underperforming stores by February 2020, according to the retailer’s parent company, Transform Holdco LLC. The closings will consist of 51 Sears stores and 45 Kmart stores, leaving 182 operational Sears and Kmart stores remaining in the United States. The closing stores are scattered throughout all regions of the country, including 28 located in California. A full list of store closures can be found here. “Since purchasing substantially all the assets of Sears Holdings Corp. in February 2019, Transformco has …
San Francisco — Gap Inc.’s president and chief executive officer, Art Peck, will step down from his position and from the company’s board. Peck will leave Gap after a brief transition. Effective immediately, Robert J. Fisher, the company’s current non-executive chairman of the board, will also serve as president and CEO on an interim basis. Additionally, the board has appointed Bobby Martin, chair of its compensation and management development committee, as lead independent director. “On behalf of the entire board, I want to thank Art for his many contributions to …