Sustainability

REI is looking to strengthen its omnichannel capabilities with a new distribution center in Arizona.

The outdoor retailer that it will open a third distribution center, located in Goodyear, Ariz., in 2016 to better support its website, stores and customers through faster product replenishment and delivery.

Downtown LA’s South Park will emerge as a new retail district

It’s rare enough for any developer — or group of developers and brokers — to plan an entirely new retail district almost literally from the ground up. It’s utterly unique to do so in one of the largest cities in the world.

Yet, that’s exactly what’s happening in Downtown Los Angeles’ South Park neighborhood.

The famous poetic line “water, water everywhere, but not a drop to drink” may hold more truth than most retailers realize.

“Less than 1% of water is drinkable and readily available, and less than 1% of that is surface water,” Jerry Yudelson, president, Green Building Initiative, told SPECS attendees.

Richardson, Texas -- EnTouch Controls announced that Chuck E. Cheese’s has ramped up its commitment to EnTouch 360° as its official energy management solution for corporate stores in North America.

Chuck E. Cheese’s store environment includes a playground and a host of video games for teens and adults. The energy costs for these video games, along with the energy needed to maintain comfortable temperatures for patrons, quickly adds up.

The Shoppes at Middletown brings specialty retail and dining to affluent eastern Monmouth County

A unique new shopping center is being designed to bring boutique and specialty retail and dining options to eastern Monmouth County in Central New Jersey. The Shoppes at Middletown, at 380,000 sq. ft., will emerge as a premier town center development when it opens in 2017. The project will be developed on 50 acres of the overall 120-acre project, and will feature 2,200 ft.

Doughnuts may be required to spend some time in the proofer, but when it comes to sustainability, the proof is in the doughnuts, at least those that are served at a growing number of Dunkin’ Donuts 18,000-plus locations.

The rise of Dunkin’ Brands sustainability initiative was presented by the company’s senior director of global design and construction services, John Herth, and director of corporate responsibility, Christine Riley Miller, at the SPECS session, “Sustainability the Dunkin’ Brands Way.”

At the end of 2014, the company launched Dunkin’ Donuts (DD) Green Achiev

Quincy, Mass. -- Stop & Shop has broken ground on the company’s first anaerobic digester at its distribution center in Freetown, Massachusetts. The state-of-the-art digester will turn food scraps into clean energy.

As part of its sustainability efforts, Stop & Shop plans to donate and divert as much food waste and unsold food as possible to regional food banks and farms. But food that cannot be donated will be sent to the digester. The supermarket retailer has set a long-term goal to divert 90% of waste going to landfills.

Phoenix – Local communities in Arizona reportedly can no longer ban plastic bags. According to the Associated Press, the Arizona state legislature has voted to make it illegal for cities and town to forbid the use of plastic bags, as well as Styrofoam containers or other disposable products, within their limits.

The state law also restricts local communities from requiring businesses to report energy usage.