Strategy

PITTSBURGH — Electric vehicle charging stations recently opened at three Pittsburgh-area Giant Eagle stores, the retailer said.

The EV charging stations, made possible by a collaborative effort through a Pennsylvania Department of Energy grant, now are in operation at the chain's Robinson Township, Township of Pine and Monroeville supermarkets.

New York -- The retail industry experienced a weekend that was a roaring success in terms of customer traffic, sales and another key metric that was overlooked: No one died! At least not in the gruesome fashion of a few years ago when a Walmart employee was trampled by an unruly mob as he opened the doors at a Long Island, NY, store on Black Friday. There was an incident this year involving an older man who collapsed at a Target store in West Virginia and later died at a hospital, but it was determined he had a pre-existing heart condition.

NEW YORK — Heading into December, consumers are feeling more confident about the economy and that is good news for retailers who are hoping for a strong holiday shopping season. After declining in October, The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index, improved to 56 in November from 40.9 in Ocober. The Present Situation Index increased to 38.3 from 27.1. The Expectations Index rose to 67.8 from 50.

PITTSBURGH — Dick's Sporting Goods took another step in expanding out West with the announcement that it will build a distribution center in Goodyear, Ariz., that is expected to bring approximately 120 jobs to the area when business opens in early 2013.

The distribution center will be designed to ultimately support approximately 160 stores as Dick's Sporting Goods grows its store base in the Western United States over the next 5-10 years and is eventually expected to employ up to 300 associates, the company reported.

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Frederik Meijer, the founder of the supercenter retail chain of the same name, died Nov. 25. He was 91.

ST. LOUIS — Supervalu banner Save-A-Lot will open a new 330,000-sq.-ft. food distribution center in Lexington, N.C., on Wednesday.

The distribution center initially will service more than 70 stores within a 150-mile radius, Save-A-Lot noted.

The distribution center, which will employ 35 employees, is part of the company's commitment to expand in the region. Currently, there are nearly 30 Save-A-Lot stores in North Carolina, including one in Lexington; the company plans to open an additional three stores in the state by March 2012.

Redwood City, Calif. -- Actian Corp. said Tuesday that c-store chain Sheetz has selected its Vectorwise data analytics engine to optimize costs, maintain high quality and ensure a positive customer experience.

“Data growth is occurring at record rates,” said Jarrid Magalich, technical services manager at Sheetz. “It’s important for Sheetz to have a plan to manage this growth, maintain and improve current service levels – even with a growing user base – and reduce infrastructure costs wherever possible.”

Pittsburgh -- Dick's Sporting Goods said Tuesday that it will build a new distribution center in Goodyear, Ariz., that will service the western United States. The new DC, which is expected to bring approximately 120 jobs to the area, is slated to open in early 2013.

The distribution center will be designed to ultimately support approximately 160 stores as Dick's Sporting Goods grows its store base in the western United States over the next five to 10 years and is eventually expected to employ up to 300 associates.

St. Louis -- Grocer Save-A-Lot, a subsidiary of SuperValu, said Tuesday it will open a 330,000-sq.-ft. distribution center in Lexington, N.C., on Nov. 30.

The $24 million project is designed to support Save-A-Lot’s growth in region.

The new DC will employ 35 employees initially and is a collaboration with the state of North Carolina and its One North Carolina Fund, the North Carolina Department of Commerce, Davidson County and the City of Lexington.

Indianapolis -- The Finish Line said Tuesday that its chief administrative officer and corporate secretary Gary D. Cohen, will retire from the company effective March 29, 2012.

Cohen will step down effective December 1, but will remain with the company during a transition period ending March 29, 2012.

Cohen, 59, has been with Finish Line since 1997, first serving as general counsel and later in his current role.