Sustainability

Dallas -- J.C. Penney Co. will unveil the newest iteration of its store model with the opening of its new Dallas store in the TimberCreek Crossing shopping center on Sept. 30.

The 105,000-sq.-ft. single-level store provides an assortment of services under one roof, including dedicated in-store environments for MNG by Mango and a 1,700-sq.-ft. Sephora shop.

BENTONVILLE, Ark. — Wal-Mart Stores on Wednesday launched initiatives intended, it says, to help women around the globe in the next five years.

The retailer has spent the last year developing a plan -- with help from both governmental and non-governmental organizations and philanthropic groups -- which will direct $20 billion over a five- year period on goods and services from U.S. businesses owned by women, as well as double the amount it pays women-run suppliers overseas.

Greensboro, N.C. -- Apparel giant VP Corp. announced that it has completed its previously-announced acquisition of The Timberland Company in a deal valued at $2.3 billion.

Timberland will become part of VF's Outdoor & Action Sports Coalition, which includes The North Face. The formerly family-held company will remain headquartered in Stratham, N.H.

MINNEAPOLIS — Target announced that it has donated $60,000 to assist with Texas wildfire relief efforts. A $25,000 cash donation was made to the American Red Cross with the additional cash and product donations made to other nonprofit organizations in the Texas area.

Target teams provided 12,000 bottles of water, 3,600 bottles of Gatorade, and 500 boxes of snacks to Bastrop Public Works yard last week, along with donations of clothes, diapers, toiletries and bedding to support wildfire relief efforts, the company reported.

Miami -- Ryder System announced that it and Staples have agreed to add 10 heavy-duty compressed natural gas (CNG) tractors to Ryder’s dedicated fleet servicing Staples. The tractors -- the first of their kind used in Staples’ third party dedicated operations -- will replace ten diesel tractors currently used by Ryder for Staples, and have been made available through Ryder’s natural gas vehicle project agreement with the San Bernardino Associated Governments in Southern California.

Corpus Christi, Texas -- Shopping mall La Palmera said that one of its major tenants, P.F. Chang’s China Bistro, received a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) gold certification, the restaurant’s first, for its location at the Corpus Christi, Texas, mall.

The economic challenges sweeping the country have been tough, but, like most things in life, it’s not the challenging times that define you, but what you do during them. For leaders in the retail industry the last few years have led to great innovation, providing the retail industry every opportunity to reinvent in areas across their operations including in the area of environmental sustainability. 

The retail world will lose one of its most colorful and respected CEOs when Costco Wholesale Club co-founder and chief executive Jim Sinegal steps down on January 1, 2012. Among retailers, Sinegal stands out for offering proof positive that a business could be good to its employees and customers and still make a hefty profit.