December 17, 2009
BOSTON, MA–(Marketwire – December 17, 2009) – Plymouth Rock Assurance Corporation announced today that Keith Jensen has assumed the newly-created position of Chief Marketing Officer. In this role, Jensen will lead Plymouth Rock’s efforts in customer experience, marketing, brand management and sales. Mark Sweeney, Plymouth Rock’s Chief Agency Officer, will report to Jensen and continues to lead Plymouth Rock’s agency relations and field management efforts. “Keith is tasked with making us a leader as an agency-oriented company,” said Plymouth Rock President Chris Olie. “Our goal is to have Plymouth Rock admired as the clear market leader in the Northeast in auto insurance service, business growth, profitability and innovation and we think Keith will play a key role in helping us get there.”
Read the full article →
November 19, 2009
By Inyoung Hwang Nov. 19 (Bloomberg) — Kohl’s Corp. , the fourth-largest U.S. department-store chain, will let customers create shopping lists online to help them locate holiday specials before they set out to buy gifts. Visitors to Kohls.com can print out pictures and prices of items that will be available the day after U.S. Thanksgiving, the traditional start of the holiday shopping season. The service is available from Nov. 22 through Nov. 27, the Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin-based chain said in a statement. Thanksgiving falls on Thursday, Nov. 26, in the U.S. this year. The following day, known as “Black Friday,” merchants extend business hours and offer “door buster” discounts to attract customers. A trade group is predicting holiday sales may rise as little as 1 percent from last year as unemployment continues to curb consumer spending. “In a tough economy for our customers, pre-shopping and planning their shopping are more important than ever because they really have to stretch their budgets,” Julie Gardner , Kohl’s chief marketing officer, said in a telephone interview yesterday. “If we have a list, we stay well within our budget more.” Kohl’s stores will open at 4 a.m. on Black Friday. The company will offer “early bird” specials on some items and issue $10 coupons for every $50 spent at stores or online. Kohl’s fell 72 cents, or 1.3 percent, to $54.70 at 4:15 p.m. yesterday in New York Stock Exchange composite trading. The shares have gained 51 percent this year before today. The U.S. jobless rate last month stood at 10.2 percent, a 26-year high. U.S. holiday sales may rise 1 percent to 2 percent this year, according to the International Council of Shopping Centers, a New York-based trade group. To contact the reporter on this story: Inyoung Hwang in New York at ihwang7@bloomberg.net .
Read the full article →