Labor & Employment

Minneapolis – Target plans to open a new store in Liberty Township, Ohio, in October 2014. The 130,000-sq.-ft. store will offer a selection of fresh produce, fresh packaged meat and pre-packaged baked goods, as well as a Starbucks and a Target Pharmacy.

Albertsons has confirmed that it plans to close 26 locations.

“This is part of our typical review cycle, and after reviewing store performance, we determined that these stores could not be positioned for future profitability, with the exception of the two stores in Acme that were closed for underperformance. The two Acme stores were closed because the leases are expiring,” the company said in a statement sent to sister publication Drug Store News.

Estée Lauder has named Jane Lauder as global brand president of Clinique. Succeeding Lauder will be Stephane de la Faverie, who has been named SVP/global general manager, Origins, Ojon and Darphin. Their new roles will become effective April 1.

Both Lauder and de la Faverie will report to Lynne Greene, group president of Clinique, Origins, Ojon, Aveda and Darphin. As announced in 2012, Greene was promoted to group president as part of an organizational redesign.

Overstock.com has reason to celebrate after a district court in Salt Lake City, Utah, ruled in the online retailer’s favor, denying breach of contract and other claims for damages of $1.7 million.

The company said that in Haddadin v. Overstock, two brothers asserted they were entitled to damages of $1.7 million, plus future royalties, when the it contracted with Ed and Ayman Haddadin for the creation of an auto sales store on the e-tailer's website.

Purchase, N.Y. — National Realty & Development Corp. (www.nrdc.com) has promoted Dovid M. Spector and Greg A. Oshins have been promoted to the executive team.

Spector has been promoted to senior VP, leasing. He began his career with NRDC in 2002 as a leasing representative and served as Director of Retail Leasing for the pat six years. Prior to joining NRDC, Spector worked in the Real Estate Business Development division of Morgan Stanley.

Warren, Mich. – Art Van Furniture is adding its seventh Chicagoland location in Downers Grove. Renovations are set to begin to transform the two-story 106,000-square-ft. building into a new store scheduled to open in January 2015.

Washington, D.C. – Despite economic challenges, the restaurant industry should experience its fifth consecutive year of sales growth in 2014. According to the National Restaurant Association (NRA) 2014 Restaurant Industry Forecast, industry sales are projected to exceed $683 billion in 2014, up 3.6% from 2013’s sales volume of $659.3 billion.

Matthews, N.C. – The board of directors has increased the amount of the regular quarterly dividend payment to $0.31 per share, an increase of 19.2% from the preceding quarterly cash dividend of $0.26 per share. The increase will be effective with the declaration of the next quarterly dividend.

By Tom Stockham, [email protected]

Remember the days when stores differentiated themselves against the competition on service? When consumers sought out expert product recommendations from knowledgeable sales associates? And bought from the one who worked hardest to help them find just the right product for their needs?

Seattle – Technicians working at an Amazon.com fulfillment center in Middletown, Del., have reportedly rejected a bid to unionize from the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM). According to Reuters, a group of 27 maintenance and repair technicians voted against joining the IAM, 21-6.