Associations

WASHINGTON -- The National Retail Federation announced that it welcomed Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke's commitment to complete final swipe fee reform regulations in time for retailers to begin offering customers discounts and other benefits this summer as scheduled.

Bethesda, Md. -- Retail real estate alliance X Team International said it has named a new partner, Bethesda, Md.-based Streetsense.

Beyond traditional landlord and tenant representation, Streetsense offers architecture, interior design, branding, marketing and merchandising strategies to entrepreneurs, retailers, developers and public sector entities. 

Washington, D.C. -- The nation’s court is set to hear arguments on Tuesday in a decade-old legal fight that could cost Wal-Mart Stores billions of dollars if the 500,000 women claiming sex bias are allowed to band together in a class action.

Wal-Mart is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to end the massive sex discrimination lawsuit in which the women are claiming that the retailer favors men over women in pay and promotions.
 

Chicago -- Retailers and consumer product manufacturers who create and maintain a diverse workforce are more likely to increase innovation and meet consumer needs than those who don’t, according to a new report by the Network of Executive Women.

A first of its kind conference focused on shopper behavior is scheduled for May 12 in Fayetteville, Ark., home of the Center for Retailing Excellence within the Sam M. Walton College of Business at the University of Arkansas. The conference is called SHOP and features a number of thought leaders in the field of consumer research and shopper insights and was designed to complement the Center’s Emerging Trends in Retailing Conference that is held each fall.

New York City -- The Illinois Nurses Association announced Thursday it has agreed to represent the approximately 180 nurse practitioners who work in the Take Care Clinics in the Chicago area, Rockford and Peoria. Walgreens operates 45 Take Care Clinics in Illinois.

The nurses are concerned about a pay reduction, an increase in the cost of their health benefits and other issues.

The Illinois Nurses Association has filed a petition with the National Labor Relations Board to form a union of nurse practitioners working at the clinics.

NEW YORK – Leigh Anne Brodsky, president Nickelodeon Consumer Products has been selected for induction into the International Licensing Industry Merchandisers’ Association (LIMA) Licensing Industry Hall of Fame. Brodsky joins a select list of only 36 inductees—including Charles Schulz and Jim Davis, both of whom she worked with earlier in her career—since LIMA began recognizing these giants in 1985. 

PITTSBURGH — Giant Eagle has received the American Diabetes Association's prestigious Chairman's Citation Award, which recognizes the accomplishments of individuals, corporations, institutions and organizations who have demonstrated dedication and commitment and have had a positive impact in advancing the mission of the ADA.

WASHINGTON -- Consumers can expect to find less packaging with their food and beverages in the coming years as manufacturers look to eliminate waste. The Grocery Manufacturers Association found that by 2020 2.5 billion pounds of waste is expected to be avoided by 2020.  This is on top of the 1.5 billion pounds of packaging avoided since 2005.

New York City -- Schneider Electric and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory are collaborating to enhance the current demand response credit for the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification.