Labor & Employment

Bentonville, Ark. -- A report by the Associated Press on Monday said that Wal-Mart Stores Inc. CEO Mike Duke was compensated with an $18.1 million pay package in 2011, down 3% from the prior year.

According to AP, the pay decline is attributed to a smaller performance-based cash bonus for the year.

The recent updates to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Standards for Accessible Design were detailed at the SPECS session, “The ADA: 20 Years +1.” The session, part of the Tenant Improvement Construction/Remodeling workshop track, also gave a brief overview of the law and its enforcement.

According to the speaker, more than 200 private ADA lawsuits are filed in U.S. Federal Courts across the United States each month. The suits are filed mainly by disability organizations, disability rights advocates and law firms.

Recovery is a relative term when applied to retail real estate. It’s taken a couple of years of determined optimism, but most in the industry have now reconciled themselves to the realities of the new world order. A world where capital is cautiously invested and most retailers, even those that are opening new stores, have flattened growth rates. Gone are the days of expansive, unrestrained development — replaced instead by measured, deliberate decisions and a renewed focus on redevelopment, relocation and re-evaluation of portfolios.

BENTONVILLE, Ark. — Significant waste reduction and greater use of renewable energy are detailed in Walmart’s just-released fifth annual Global Responsibility Report (GRR). Entitled “Beyond 50 Years: Building a Sustainable Future,” the report highlights the chain’s global top 10 list of achievements to reduce its impact on the environment, improve efficiency in its supply chain and stores, and address social issues.

DALLAS — Neiman Marcus has named Michael Kingston SVP, CIO of The Neiman Marcus Group. He succeeds Phillip Maxwell, who earlier this month announced his retirement.

Kingston joins The Neiman Marcus Group from Ann Inc., parent company of Ann Taylor, where he was the EVP enterprise transformation and technology. Prior to Ann Inc., Kingston was VP applications at Coach Inc. and international director information services at LVMH.

JAKKS Pacific Inc., appointed Carmine Russo president of its international division with responsibility for growing international sales and overseeing marketing, advertising, promotions and distribution operations across all product divisions.
 

Dallas -- Neiman Marcus announced that Michael R. Kingston would be joining the company, April 23, as senior VP, CIO of The Neiman Marcus Group. Kingston succeeds Phillip Maxwell, who earlier this month announced his retirement.

Kingston joins Neiman Marcus Group from Ann Inc., parent company of Ann Taylor, where he was the executive VP enterprise transformation and technology.
 

Minneapolis -- Supervalu on Monday announced three new executive appointments following the departure of Sue Klug, president of its Albertsons Southern California division.

Dan Sanders has been tapped to head Albertsons Southern California, Keith Wyche will lead Acme and Brian Audette has been named president at Cub Foods.

Replacing Klug will be Sanders, current president of Supervalu's Acme Markets division, based in Philadelphia. Sanders joined Acme in 2010 from United Supermarkets, Lubbock, Texas, where he served as CEO.

Editor’s Note: Chain Store Age’s 23rd annual survey of Fastest-Growing Managers measures new domestic and international third-party management and leasing contracts obtained during the preceding calendar year (2011).

Now more than ever, retail real estate is not a business to be conducted without forethought. The days of gut instincts and seat-of-the-pants decisions have been replaced by the need to plan far ahead to guarantee a company’s continued growth.

Access to operating capital remains an ongoing challenge for some retailers, which are still facing a difficult time when it comes to securing a loan. The problem is particularly acute for small and medium-sized businesses: Among U.S. small business owners, 90% believe the availability of credit for small businesses is a problem, and 61% agree it’s harder to get a loan now than it was four years ago, according to a recent study by the American Sustainable Business Council, Small Business Majority and Main Street Alliance.