New York City — Authentic Brands Group, a global brand development, entertainment and marketing platform, has appointed Jeff Daggett as senior vice president – head of Japan. With more than three decades of industry experience, Daggett will play an integral role in strengthening Authentic’s foothold presence and driving brand growth within the Japanese market. “Jeff’s extensive industry experience and proven track record make him an ideal leader to drive Authentic’s expansion across Japan,” says Wesley Chu, regional president APAC, Authentic. “We are excited to welcome his strategic vision and comprehensive …
retailers
Minneapolis — Target Corporation plans to roll out a new generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tool to team members at all of its nearly 2,000 stores by August, becoming the first major retailer to share that it is bringing this technology to its store team members across the U.S. The tool, called Store Companion, is a GenAI-powered chatbot designed by Target that can answer on-the-job process questions, coach new team members, support store operations management and more. “We know technology will continue to play an outsized role in the future of …
Duluth, Ga. — National Vision Holdings, Inc. has appointed Mark Banner as the company’s new chief stores officer, effective July 8, 2024. He joins the company after a 7-year tenure at Sleep Number. Most recently, he served as senior vice president of retail and real estate. His extensive experience encompasses leading teams in sales, sales operations, digital, promotion and real estate. Before Sleep Number, Banner dedicated 18 years to Signet Jewelers, the world’s largest specialty retailer jeweler. He began his career at Signet as a store manager and rose through …
Grand Rapids, Mich. — Amidst the Great Depression in 1934, Hendrik Meijer, a local barber in Greenville, Mich., took a chance and opened Meijer’s Grocery with his wife Gezina and their children, 18-year-old Johanna and 14-year-old Fred, to take care of customers who visited Hendrik’s barbershop. Fast-forward to today and the family-owned retailer is celebrating its 90th anniversary with more than 500 Meijer supercenters, grocery stores, neighborhood markets, express locations and distribution and manufacturing facilities throughout six Midwest states. “We have built an incredible team here at Meijer that is …
Livonia, Mich. — Pet Supplies Plus and Wag N’ Wash report double-digit mid-year growth with 23 sold franchise agreements and 16 store openings. Collectively, the brands are projected to sell a total of 70 franchise units and open at least 45 stores by year-end. While each franchise has a unique offering, both legacy brand Pet Supplies Plus and emerging concept Wag N’ Wash have the billion-dollar backing of 30+ years of franchise and industry experience. As the largest pet retail franchise in North America, Pet Supplies Plus continues to be …
Lakewood, Colo. — Todd Dissinger, chief financial officer of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc., has informed the company of his intention to retire on December 31, 2024. He will continue to serve as chief financial officer until his successor is appointed to ensure a smooth transition. “Since his appointment as chief financial officer in December 2017, Dissinger has been an invaluable member of our executive team, helping Natural Grocers to execute on its founding principles while achieving record financial performance and enhancing shareholder value,” says Kemper Isely, chairman and …
Lincolnshire, Ill. — Zebra Technologies Corporation, a leading digital solution provider enabling businesses to intelligently connect data, assets and people, has been chosen by the Walgreens Boots Alliance to optimize its operations with Zebra Workcloud Actionable Intelligence software, in order to save millions of dollars by enhancing operational compliance and the company’s ability to identify and combat shrink. Walgreens, a Chicago-based international pharmacy retailer, selected Zebra’s Modern Store framework to improve asset protection, better equip employees with technology, and optimize operational visibility in its network of 8,000 locations across 50 …
San Diego — Petco Health and Wellness Company, Inc. has released its 2023 Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) report, detailing progress on its mission to improve the lives of pets, pet parents and its own employees — including the launch of a new large-scale LDPE plastic recycling program. “Our commitment to making a positive impact on the lives of pets, people and the planet we all share is pivotal to our mission as a purpose-driven pet retailer,” says Benjamin Thiele-Long, chief ESG and communications officer. “By making meaningful progress on …
— By Alec Zaballero — A conversation with TPG Architecture about trends in retail design — and how digital-first brands can successfully move into brick-and-mortar. R&R: Thank you so much for your time! Before diving in, our readers would like to get to know you. Can you tell us a bit about yourself and what trends you are seeing in the retail industry? Alec Zaballero: In my role as managing executive at TPG Architecture, I oversee the firm’s retail, hospitality, restaurant, and entertainment design practices, with a keen focus on …
Minneapolis — Target Corporation has named Christina Hennington, currently chief growth officer, as chief strategy and growth officer, and Rick Gomez, currently chief food, essentials and beauty officer, as chief commercial officer, overseeing Target’s merchandising business, both effective July 7. Lisa Roath, Target’s chief marketing officer, will take on the role of chief merchandising officer of food, essentials and beauty in early 2025. The company is initiating an external search for its next chief marketing officer and, until a successor is named, Roath will remain in full capacity as chief …