Corporate Responsibility

Royal Ahold CEO Dick Boer and Nestlé CEO Paul Bulcke are the new co-chairs of global packaged goods organization the Consumer Goods Forum.
 
The selection of Boer and Bulcke was announced in conjunction with the CGF’s Global Summit in Tokyo. The pair replace outgoing co-chairs Muhtar Kent of the Coca-Cola Company and Gareth Ackerman of Pick n Pay. Ackerman and Denise Morrison, CEO of Campbell Soup Company, were appointed vice co-chairs of the forum.

Grand Rapids, Mich. -- Meijer will open two 190,000-sq.-ft. supercenters in the northern Indiana towns of Portage and Warsaw on June 13. Meijer operates more than 200 stores in the Midwest and will have 32 stores in Indiana. Meijer expects the stores to create more than 500 new jobs.

Sycamore Partners has acquired mall- and Web-based specialty retailer Hot Topic and its Hot Topic, Torrid and Blackheart concepts for approximately $600 million.

"Hot Topic and Torrid are both leaders in their categories, and we are excited to have both brands as part of our portfolio," said Stefan Kaluzny, managing director of Sycamore Partners. "Sycamore Partners is very pleased to have the opportunity to partner with Lisa Harper and her team to invest in the continued development of both the Hot Topic and Torrid retail brands."

MISSISSAUGA, Ont. -- Target announced that its first 24 store locations in Ontario (Canada) have been awarded LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) certification. As previously announced, the discounter is seeking LEED certification for all 124 stores scheduled to open in Canada this year.

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Meijer is opening two 190,000-sq.-ft. supercenters in Portage and Warsaw, in northern Indiana, creating more than 500 new jobs.

The family-owned retailer, which already has 32 stores throughout Indiana, built the new locations to LEED standards. The two supercenters are the latest in a $200 million investment this year that includes the construction of six new Meijer supercenters, extensive remodel projects for five additional stores in Michigan and Illinois and major upgrades to two distribution complexes.

PURCHASE, N.Y. — PepsiCo has chosen three schools as the grand prize winners of the 2012-13 PepsiCo Dream Machine Recycle Rally, a national recycling program and contest designed to encourage students to recycle every day.  

BENTONVILLE, Ark. — Sam's Club CEO Rosalind Brewer announced the launch of a collaborative program supporting small business owners and entrepreneurs in 25 cities. The Grow Your Business Boot Camp series offers hands-on training seminars backed by a funding commitment of $500,000 from Sam's Club.

NEW YORK — Coty has promoted Catherine Walsh to the newly created position of SVP of corporate communications. The company will look to Walsh to help strengthen its global brand-building efforts.