Industry News: Discount and Specialty Stores

Personnel Updates:AdvanceAuto Parts announced the appointmentof Kevin Dempsey as VP Global and Front Room Merchandising.
AdvanceAuto Parts announced the promotionof Kurt Schumacher to Senior VP, National Field Operations. Mr. Schumacher’sresponsibilities include leading the operations of the Company’s nearly 3,500Advance Auto Parts stores and asset protection.
AdvanceAuto Parts announced the promotionof Joe Gonzalez to Area Senior Vice President. Mr. Gonzalez will be responsiblefor leading the Company’s store operations in Florida, the Southeast, PuertoRico, and the Virgin Islands.
AdvanceAuto Parts has promoted Rusty Tweedy to area Senior VP,responsible for store operations in the Mid-Atlantic regions.
AutoZone,Inc., announced that Ron Griffin hasjoined the company as Senior VP and Chief Information Officer, CustomerSatisfaction.
Best BuyCo. announced that Hubert Joly, former head of global hospitality companyCarlson and turnaround expert, will be the new CEO and President.  Joly succeeds Mike Mikan, a boardmember who has served as interim CEO since April when former CEO Brian Dunnleft Best Buy because of what the company called an improper relationship withan employee.
Big Lots,Inc. announced several executive promotions and organizationalchanges.  LisaM. Bachmann has been promoted to Exec VP, COO.  In her new role, she will assumeresponsibility for Store Operations, while retaining responsibility for theMerchandise Planning and Allocation, Information Technology and Distributionand Transportation Services departments. Ms. Bachmann will continue to serve asthe company's Chief Information Officer. Charles W. Haubiel II has beenpromoted to Exec VP, Chief Administrative Officer. In his new role, he willassume 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 beenpromoted to Exec VP, Chief Merchandising Officer. In his new role, he willassume responsibility for the company's Merchandising, Global Sourcing andMarketing departments.
Timothy A. Johnson has beenpromoted to Senior VP, CFO. In his new role, he will assume responsibility forthe Treasury and Risk Management departments and will now have responsibilityfor overseeing all of the financial activities of the company. Michael A. Schlonsky has beenpromoted to Senior VP, Human Resources. Big Lots also announced today that Douglas N. Wurl,Executive VP, Merchandising, has resigned his position with the company. 
DrivenBrands announced that CEO Ken Walker has retired.  The company has appointed Jonathan Fitzpatrick, to replacehim as CEO.
FamilyDollar Stores Inc. announced that Holly Shaskey-Platek has beenappointed to serve as Senior VP Merchandising.
FamilyDollar Stores announced that Don P. Hamblen its Senior VP Customer Marketing, has left the companyand joined Roundy’s.
Liquor Stores N.A. Ltd., announced thatRick Crook, President & Chief Executive Officer of the Company since 2009,has tendered his resignation as President & Chief Executive Officer and asa member of the Board of Directors. Concurrent with Mr. Crook's resignation,the Board of Directors has appointed Jim Dinning, Chairman of the Board, toserve as Interim Chief Executive Officer until Rick's successor is appointed.

The PepBoys – Manny, Moe & Jack appointed Thomas Carey to thenewly created position of Senior VP, Chief Customer Officer. In this newposition, Carey will be responsible for guiding the company’s customerexperience strategies and tactics, as well as leading the development andexecution of its marketing strategies. Carey most recently served as the Senior VP and Chief Marketing Officerfor Orchard Supply Hardware.
The PepBoys – Manny, Moe & Jack announced that David Stern, hasjoined the company as Exec VP, CFO,effective Sept. 10, where he will oversee the finance function, as well astechnology and corporate development.  Stern most recently served as Exec VP, Chief Administrative Officerand CFO for A.C. Moore Arts and Crafts.
RestorationHardware is reorganizing its leadership team to better align with the company'snew 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 andco-CEO of Restoration Hardware, will become the founder, chairman, and CEO ofHierarchy, a newly created company with Restoration Hardware owning a minoritystake. Friedman will continue to be involved with Restoration Hardware in anexclusive advisory role. Friedman will remain the largest individualshareholder of Restoration Hardware and will serve as a non-director advisor tothe board in his role as chairman emeritus. Carlos Alberini, co-CEO ofRestoration Hardware, will become Restoration Hardware’s sole CEO and will leadall 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, GMMHome and Hardlines. 
Shopkoannounced that it has expanded the role of Tom Abbott, to now include oversightof the company's consumables division.  His new title will be Senior VPProduct Development, GMM Consumables.
TuesdayMorning announced that it has named former Big Lots head Brady Churches as itsnew CEO, stepping in for former CEO Kathleen Mason who was terminated by thecompany in June.
Walmart announcedthat Senior VP Lisa Rhodes has left the company to become CEO for fashionretailer Dots.

Industry Insight: AutoZone opened its newest store in Wasilla, Alaska. This location marks thecompany's 5,000^th store and its entry into Alaska.
EverythingFor A Dollar Store is closing 23 locations across the country as thediscount retail chain rebrands itself. The store closings will allow the company to rebrand and open five new locations next month with12 more in the New Year.  The newstores will have a new format, bigger space and a bigger selection.
Ritz Camera & Image LLC, oncethe largest U.S. chain of specialty camera shops, won court permission toliquidate after failing to find a buyer willing to keep the business and itsremaining 137 stores open.  Theliquidation process has begun.
TargetCorp. 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 storesand remodeled 13 existing locations to the side-by-side Toys “R” Us/Babies “R”Us model.Williams-Sonoma expectsto open forty one locations by its current fiscal year end.  The company also expects to closethirty three locations during the same time frame.  These moves touch each of the company’s store nameplates.

Real Estate:hhgregg stillplans 20 to 22 new store openings in fiscal 2013 despite recent challengingfinancials.
PetSupplies Plus has signed leases for three new stores in theDelaware Valley, totaling more than 26,000 sq. ft.  All three stores are slated to open prior to year’s end.

Green Initiatives/Sustainability:Costco hasbegun selling EcoScraps, which is composed of overripe produce that wouldotherwise have rotted is the feedstock, for the startup manufacturer’s organiccompost and potting soil.
OfficeDepot’s store in Portland, Ore., will be the country’s first to offer productsbearing the EcoSense label for electronic merchandise.  Products with the EcoSense label willbe identified with Gold, Silver, and Bronze ratings based on criteria thatreflect several categories of environmental attributes, covering the fulllife-cycle of electronic products.
WalmartStores Inc. has introduced its first onsite large-scale windturbine project, unveiled at its DC in Red Bluff, Calif.  The wind turbine, expected to beoperational by this fall, will provide roughly one megawatt of power or 15% to20% 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 produceapproximately 2,200,000 kilowatt hours annually.  Under the power purchase agreement, Foundation Windpowerinstalls, owns, and operates the wind turbine and Walmart purchases the powerproduced under a long-term agreement. The installation will move Walmart closer to its goal to be supplied by100% renewable energy.
Wal-MartStores announced that its new store in Portland, Ore., will feature thestate’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 10,000sq. ft. the current largest green roof over the Ramona apartment complex inPortland.

Technology News:Walmart haslaunched new applications for the iPhone and iPad designed to give itscustomers tools to plan their weekly shopping trips as well as a new way toaccess Walmart both in-store and online. The new apps will enable millions ofcustomers to enjoy an enhanced, seamless shopping experience across Walmart’s3,800 U.S. stores and Walmart.com through mobile devices.  The announcement builds on Walmart’scommitment to technology innovation for the next generation of commerce. Thetwo free applications are the first of several mobile products to be rolled outfrom the recently formed WalmartLabs group under Walmart’s Global eCommerceunit. The iPhone application features new updates that include smart shoppinglists with integrated access to manufacturers’ coupons and support for QR codescanning. Walmart’s first-ever iPad application delivers a rich experience thatallows customers to browse, search and purchase their favorite items online, aswell as the ability to browse the inventory of their local store from thecomfort of their home.