Consumer Affairs & Relations

NAPERVILLE, Ill. — OfficeMax is taking its new Business Solutions Center store concept to Chicago’s business-rich Streeterville neighborhood later this summer. The retailer opened its first center in Milwaukee back in April to test the pilot concept. 

The currently unoccupied street-level location at 550 St. Clair St. will give the retailer 3,900-sq.-ft. of retail space where it will be able to showcase business services, solutions and products to help local entrepreneurs grow their businesses. 

Brand Keys, a customer engagement and research consultancy, has identified the 25 brands consumers regard as the most patriotic.

Topping the list were Jeep, Hershey and Coca-Cola with Walmart the only retail brand to make the list at number 15.

MINNEAPOLIS — Target Corp. has appointed former senator and secretary of the interior Kenneth Salazar to its board of directors. He replaces Mary Dillon, who resigned from the board last month after being named CEO of Ulta Beauty.

Salazar, who recently began working for the law firm WilmerHale, served as a Democratic member of the Senate from Colorado from 2005 to 2009 and as interior secretary under the Obama administration from 2009 until earlier this year, when he was replaced by Sally Jewell. 

Progress Financial may not be directly affiliated with Walmart, but a Bloomberg story this week reveals the companies are connected in some interesting ways.

Neil Marshall, global director of quality and food safety with the Coca-Cola Company is the newest member of the Consumer Goods Forum’s Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI).

Marshall replaces fellow Coca-Cola colleague D.V. Darshane who recent took a new position with Coca-Cola in Europe.

The Von Maur department store chain was founded 140 years ago and less than a month from now the company will open its 27th store in Coralville, Iowa.
 
The 80,000-sq.-ft. freestanding store will be located at the Iowa River Landing retail development and feature the company’s signature exterior entrance and resident ambience.

New York -- Federal authorities have arrested a former Tiffany & Co. executive, charging her with stealing more than $1 million in jewelry and then reselling it for $1.3 million.

According to reports, Ingrid Lederhaas-Okun was arrested at her home in Darien, Conn. She was charged with wire fraud and interstate transportation of stolen property by the FBI, and could face up to 30 years in prison.

Williamsville, N.Y. -- Tops Friendly Markets has officially unveiled 12 former Grand Union stores in eastern and northern New York under the Tops banner at grand re-opening ceremonies.

The new Tops branded stores include stores in Saratoga, Warrensburg, Warren, Franklin, Essex, Clinton and Fulton counties.

Brooklyn, Ohio – The Weiss family, which founded the public American Greetings greeting card company is now looking to take it private. As reported by Reuters, the Weiss family is raising an existing buyout offer of $18.20 per share to $19 per share.

The increased offer was contained in a regulatory filing made July 1.
 

CONSHOHOCKEN, Pa. — Leading home furnishings retailer Ikea has extended its partnership with ECOtality, a clean electric transportation and storage technologies company, and plans to add 24 Blink electric vehicle charging stations across eight more locations in the United States.