Strategy

Jacksonville, Fla. -- Shopping center owner and developer Regency Centers said it has implemented Textura Corp.’s Pre-Qualification Management in the company’s East Region. 

Regency was already using the Construction Payment Management (CPM) system, then engaged Textura to deploy its Pre-Qualification Management (PQM) system.

Bellevue, Wash. -- MulvannyG2 Architecture announced that senior principal Brian Fleener, AIA, has been promoted to VP of retail stores development for the firm.

Fleener will lead the development of MulvannyG2’s retail stores market sector and design strategy, and offer clients a global perspective on their retail development plans.
 

New York City -- Target Corp. and United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1500 have settled a dispute regarding which workers may cast ballots in a union election at the retailer's Valley Stream, N.Y., store, paving the way for the National Labor Relations Board to schedule the vote, Crain’s New York reported.

The election next month will apparently be the first at a Target store since 1990, when a union drive failed at a Detroit store.

New York City -- Smith’s Food & Drug Stores, a division of Kroger Co., has been recognized by the Utah Association of Energy Users as a leader in conservation and energy-use efficiency, The Salt Lake Tribune reported.

The chain, which received the “Outstanding Leadership in Energy Efficiency and Conservation” award on Wednesday at the 26th Annual Western States Energy Conference in Salt Lake City, was recognized for retrofitting its 132 stores in seven states with more efficient energy systems.

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.

New York City -- Veteran retailer Leo Kahn, who developed his family-owned wholesale business into the Purity Supreme chain, co-founded Staples, and pioneered selling natural foods in supermarket-sized venues, died on Wednesday in Boston. He was 94.

Irving, Texas -- Michaels said on Friday it has removed the PIN pad tampering threat from its U.S. stores and believes it has identified the time frame that customer information was exposed. Based on the latest information available, exposed PIN pad transactions occurred from Feb. 8 through May 6, the date Michaels disabled the tampered devices.

Cincinnati -- Kroger Co. CEO and chairman David Dillon saw his pay fell again as the chain's sales and profit growth fell below tough targets amid continuing economic instability.

An Associated Press analysis shows Dillon received compensation for 2011 valued at $5.4 million, down 19% from 2009. It is the third straight year in which Dillon's largely performance-based pay fell.

The AP's calculation counts salary, bonuses, perks and stock and options awarded to the executive during the year.
 

New York City -- Safeway’s store in the Georgetown section of Washington, D.C, has earned LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification. The 71,067-sq.ft. store is the grocer’s second LEED-certified store, and the first LEED certified store in DC.

Seattle -- Nordstrom reported Thursday that its first-quarter net income rose 25% on improved revenue. But the company lowered its full-year outlook to reflect the impact of its acquisition of private-sale website HauteLook.

Nordstrom said it earned $145 million for the quarter that ended April 30, up from $116 million in the same quarter last year. (The figure includes a charge related to the HauteLook acquisition.) Revenue increased 12% to $2.23 billion. Same-store sales were up 6.5%.