Labor & Employment

City of Commerce, Calif. - 99 Cents Only Stores LLC has named Jack L. Sinclair as chief merchandising officer. Sinclair will be responsible for merchandising and marketing functions.

West Elm plans to open a 10,000-square-foot shop in one of the most up and comng urban centers in the South.

The store will open with West Elm’s fall 2015 product assortment, a suite of complimentary design services and feature crafted goods by nine local artists and makers as part of West Elm’s “Local” initiative. The new store is expected to bring an estimated 25-30 jobs to the Charleston community.

Toronto – Lowe’s Canada is in growth mode. In addition to completing the acquisition of 12 former Target sites, the company also plans to open two more locations in Ontario, which will bring its total store count to 54 from 40.

Oak Brook, Ill. – Retail Properties of America Inc. (RPAI) has named Heath R. Fear as its new CFO and treasurer, effective Aug. 17. Fear will play a key role in the continued execution of the company’s portfolio and balance sheet strategy, in addition to oversight of all of financial activities, including capital markets, accounting, investor relations, internal audit, internal reporting and treasury.

Canada's biggest food retailer Loblaw announced it plans to close 52 unprofitable stores over the next year at the same time the company reported lackluster second quarter financial results.

Loblaw Companies has more than 2,300 stores, including Loblaws, Provigo, and Extra Foods. It also owns Shoppers Drug Mart. 

CSA: What is one of the first things a CFO should know when bidding out a paint project?         JG: There are many factors that go into a store remodel, and paint is one that is generally seen as a wholly separate line item in the construction specs. And with paint, the first thing people tend to think about is the cost of the paint itself.  

Regional grocery chain Southeastern Grocers has agreed to sell 29 BI-LO stores to another regional grocery chain: K-VA-T Food Stores.

K-VA-T says it intends to continue to operate all of these stores under the Food City banner and hire the vast majority of their store associates, retaining their years of service.

Brampton, Canada – Loblaw Companies Ltd. swung from loss to profit in the second quarter of fiscal 2015, but still plans to improve profitability even more. Loblaw reported net income of $185 million, compared to a net loss of $456 million the same period a year earlier.