Corporate Responsibility

Seattle — Starbucks Coffee Company is opening its first store in Brunei, the company’s 64th global market, and its 100th store in Singapore, which will give people with autism the opportunity for employment and skills.

Dallas — The Container Store Group Inc. has launched its Employee First Fund, an employee assistance fund that will provide grants to employees experiencing unforeseen emergencies, a major medical situation, are suffering from a catastrophic event, or facing other challenges in life which they are not financially prepared to handle. The Container Store is contributing $100,000 to kick-off the fund, and after that, employees and other stakeholders have the opportunity to make donations.

The Container Store is marking Valentine’s Day with the launch of its Employee First Fund — an employee assistance fund that will provide grants to employees experiencing unforeseen emergencies, a major medical situation, a catastrophic event or other challenges in life that they are not financially prepared to handle.

Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores is partnering with FabricTraditions, a leading producer of printed fabrics for the home sewing industry, to bring the Creating New Traditions collection of fabrics made entirely in the United States to all Jo-Ann stores nationwide and Joann.com.

FabricTraditions will donate a portion of sales to The National Military Family Foundation.

Stater Bros. reported a substantial increase in net income for the first quarter of fiscal 2014 and credited its long-time low-price strategy for its sales growth.

Kohl’s has teamed up with actress Katie Holmes to confront the “pink elephant in the room” — breast cancer — in a new awareness-raising initiative. Kohl’s will donate up to $1 million to Susan G. Komen to help support the cause.

Woonsocket, R.I. – CVS Caremark reported strong performance in both earnings and revenues for both the fourth quarter and fiscal year 2014. The chain also raised its guidance for the first quarter.

CVS said net income during the quarter ended Dec. 31,2014, rose 12.5% to $1.26 billion from $1.12 billion in the year-ago quarter. For the full year, income rose 19% to $4.59 billion, from $3.86 billion.

Leiden, Netherlands – Ikea Group reported progress in its “People and Planet Positive” sustainability strategy during fiscal year 2013. Highlights include:

• Sold 22.4 million LED products, including 12.3 million LED bulbs.

• Ikea Group has committed to own 137 wind turbines and installed 550,000 solar panels, taking the company closer to producing more renewable energy than the total energy it uses by 2020.

Bridgeview, Ill. -- Rose Paving Company is set to support the efforts of the ASPCA (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) through a multi-event fundraising campaign in 2014. Rose Paving will host a fundraising activity at industry trade shows and expos across the country, giving registered attendees the opportunity to help support the ASPCA’s mission to prevent cruelty towards animals.

Former Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., president and CEO Mike Duke is among an impressive roster of top business executives slated to participate in a Wall Street Journal executive conference called ECO:nomics — Creating Environmental Capital.

The event, scheduled for April 2-4 at the Bacara Resort in Santa Barbara, Calif., is billed as a day of no holds barred interviews in an interactive format that offers unparalleled networking.