International Business

Centennial, Col. -- Ikea on Tuesday officially plugged-in the solar energy system installed at its upcoming location in Centennial, Col. (the 415,000-sq.-ft. store is due to open on July 27).

The 60,000-sq.-ft. array consists of a 498-kW system, built with 2,212 panels. It will produce approximately 740,000 kWh of electricity annually, the equivalent of reducing at least 564 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2), eliminating the emissions of 100 cars or powering 62 homes yearly.

SAN FRANCISCO — Levi Strauss & Co. announced that it has named Anne Rohosy as EVP and president global Dockers.

As Dockers president, Rohosy will be responsible for all product, marketing and business operations for the global khaki brand, reporting to Levi Strauss & Co.pPresident & CEO John Anderson. She moves to this Dockers leadership position after two years as a SVP, overseeing Levi’s brand commercial wholesale operations in the Americas. Prior to joining Levi Strauss & Co., she spent 15 years with Nike.

LONDON — Wal-Mart Stores' Asda division Asda confirmed that it was exploring opportunities to franchise its George at Asda range in markets overseas.

The company expects to announce its first overseas franchising partner in the next few months with the intention of establishing a small number of pilot stores in the Middle East in the first half of 2012.

George currently accounts for around half of Asda’s general merchandise sales and is already a growing global brand through Walmart stores in seven countries worldwide, the company reported.

New York City -- Wal-Mart Stores may give up its quest to buy a controlling stake in South Africa’s Massmart Holdings Ltd., if South Africa forces local procurement conditions on the retailers, the companies said, the Associated Press reported.

Walmart acquired a minority interest in Chinese e-commerce company Yihaodian, the company announced Friday morning. Yihaodian was launched in July 2008 and currently offers 75,000 products and next-day delivery on essential items from an existing logistics network in Shanghai, Beijing and Guangzhou.

SAN FRANCISCO — Gap Inc. has announced plans to bring the Gap brand to Serbia and Ukraine through new agreements with existing franchise partners. The stores are scheduled to open in 2011 in the cities of Belgrade and Kiev where customers will be able to shop products from Gap, GapKids and babyGap.

ELMWOOD PARK, N.J. — The Craft & Hobby Association (CHA) board of directors has announced the departure of Steve Berger as president and CEO of CHA. The board of directors will immediately begin a search for a new chief executive. No timetable has been set for securing a replacement. In the interim, Tony Lee, VP meetings and expositions, will serve as acting president and CEO.

San Francisco -- Gap plans to open stores in Serbia and Ukraine later this year as its continues to expand its international operations.

The chain said Friday that it signed new deals with existing franchise partners that will put Gap stores in Belgrade and Kiev.

According to Stephen Sunnucks, the company's international president, the Ukraine is the fastest-growing retail market in Eastern Europe, while Serbia has many young customers who enjoy shopping.

Bentonville, Ark. -- Wal-Mart Stores is buying a minority stake in online company Yihaodian, which sells groceries, consumer electronics, clothing and other items. Terms of the deal and the size of the stake were not disclosed.

The deal will help expand the Wal-Mart’s reach into China, where it has 328 stores (as of Dec. 31, 2010).

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — HanesBrands announced that CFO E. Lee Wyatt has resigned effective June 30 and current controller and chief accounting officer Dale Boyles will serve as interim CFO while the company conducts a search to fill the position.

Wyatt, 58, who joined HanesBrands before its 2006 spinoff to oversee the development of the company’s financial, accounting, and external reporting capabilities, is leaving the company to seek similar opportunities, according to HanesBrands.