Sustainability

Seattle – Sales growth outpaced that of expenses during second quarter 2015, leading to a rare report of positive net income at Amazon.com Inc. Amazon reported net income of $92 million, compared to net loss of $126 million the same quarter the prior fiscal year.  

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.  

Brooklyn, N.Y. – If you’re wondering whether you should become an Etsy seller, being young, female, and a parent may be factors in your favor. According to a new survey of 4,000 U.S. Etsy sellers conducted by the online handmade crafts marketplace, 86% of Etsy sellers are women.   In addition, Etsy sellers are twice as likely to be under the age of 35 and many are parents with children at home.   

Hoffman Estates, Ill. - Sears Hometown and Outlet Stores Inc. is getting a little love from its hometown. For the third consecutive year, Sears Hometown and Outlet Stores has been recognized as one of “Chicago's Best and Brightest Companies to Work For” by the National Association for Business Resources.

Conshohocken, Pa. – Ikea is taking a sunny approach to energy at its soon-to-open St. Louis store. The retailer has completed installation of solar panels atop its 380,000-sq.-ft. St. Louis store opening Sept. 30.

Spokane, Wash. – Automated water management solutions vendor Apana is trying to make saving water a little easier. Apana is generally releasing its cloud-based solution for commercial and industrial companies to save water and money.

TreeHouse is a first-of-its-kind home improvement store. Specializing in curated products and services that promote healthy and sustainable spaces, the 25,000-sq.-ft. eco-friendly space is a hub for everything tied to smart, thoughtful building.

TreeHouse is airy and inviting, with skylights and an open feel. There are lots of displays, product vignettes and graphics that explain how things work and tout the benefits of non-toxic paint and the like.

Few retailers make as big an impact on the environment as Kroger, but the high performing supermarket chain has made huge progress against sustainability priorities during the past decade and now is ready to take on a new set of goals.

The company released its 2015 Sustainability Report on July 17, which chronicles progress made during the past nine years and establishes new directional priorities.