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New York -- Toys "R" Us has appointed Antonio Urcelay, 61, the head of its European operations, as interim CEO, according to a filing the retailer made on Monday with the Securities and Exchange commission, The Record reported.

Urcelay replaces Gerald Storch, who announced in February that he would be stepping. At the time, Storch said he would remain as CEO during the transition. While his role as chief executive ended Sunday, he continues to serve as chairman of the board.

Essex, Vt. -- EWB Development announced the appointment of Daniel J. Cochran as a new partner and the head of the new Tenant Representation division at EWB.

Cochran’s 25-year retail and outlet background includes Phillips Van Heusen – where he was SVP of real estate and legal – and Coach, where he served as SVP of real estate and construction.

New York -- Leslie Dach, EVP corporate affairs for Wal-Mart Stores, will step down in June. The retailer, which announced the news in a memo to employees, said it is actively searching for a replacement. The news was first reported by Politico.

"Leslie has played a pivotal role in helping us understand the broader role Walmart can play in meeting the major challenges facing society today, and social goals are now an integral part of how we run our business," Wal-Mart chief executive Mike Duke in the memo.

New York -- Coach Inc. said that its longtime CEO, Lew Frankfort, will step down in January 2014. He will be succeeded by Victor Luis, head of Coach’s international operations, at which point Frankfort will become executive chairman. Coach named Luis president and chief commercial officer in the interim and said he will also join the board.
 

New York City -- A Wednesday report by MarketWatch said that a potential strike by nearly 15,000 dock workers at 14 ports from Boston to Houston beginning on Sunday may derail retailers’ spring selling as well.

Dallas -- Tuesday Morning announced Tuesday that it has named former Big Lots head Brady Churches as its new CEO, stepping in for former CEO Kathleen Mason who was terminated by the company in June.

Mason has since filed suit against the closeout retailer, alleging that she was fired because she disclosed that she has breast cancer.

Churches’ appointment is effective immediately. His most recent position was as president of Marketing Results Ltd. Prior to that he was president of Big Lots.
 

New York -- Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia said Monday it has named Michael Robinson to the newly created position of VP e-commerce.

Robinson was most recently Anthropologie’s head of e-commerce for Europe and United Kingdom, and was responsible for launching the Anthropologie catalog and website in 1998, as well as introducing the retailer’s loyalty card program.

He has also held managerial and planning positions with Banana Republic and Smith & Hawken.

Rockville, Md. -- Divaris Real Estate, Virginia Beach, Va., said that Joseph Farina has been named manager of the firm’s Washington, D.C., regional office located in Rockville, Md.

Farina will focus on commercial sales and leasing services to support the expansion of DRE’s portfolio of leased and managed properties in the greater D.C., metropolitan area. 

New York -- Whether your company is already in the cloud or still on the fence about making the move, retailers can gain additional insight at “Legacy Modernization to the Cloud,” a FREE roundtable luncheon moderated by Chain Store Age. Attendees will learn how to move legacy workloads to the Cloud at a low cost and repurpose the savings on strategic imperatives like loyalty, mobile, and seamless digital connections.

Naperville, Ill. — OfficeMax has named new leadership at its contract division. The company announced that, effective April 2, John Kenning will serve as executive VP and president and will report directly to Ravi Saligram, president and CEO of OfficeMax.

Lexington, Mass. -- Collective Brands Performance + Lifestyle Group announced on Tuesday the appointment of Rick Blackshaw as president of the Keds brand, effective immediately.

Blackshaw, who most recently served as VP and general manager for the Chuck Taylor All Star Division of Converse, succeeds Kristin Kohler Burrows, who left to pursue other opportunities. 
 

New York City -- Shopping centers in the United States had their first net gain in occupied space in four years amid a rise in consumer confidence and job growth, according real estate research firm Reis Inc., Bloomberg reported.

Neighborhood and community shopping shoppers saw a net increase of 3.18 million sq. ft. in the fourth quarter, the most since 10.1 million sq. ft. in the last three months of 2007.