Trading Partners

Washington, D.C. -- The Retail Industry Leaders Association, the International Council of Shopping Centers and Paladino and Co., announced Tuesday a collaborative discussion among retailers and commercial shopping center developers to bridge the current landlord and tenant divide that exists around creating sustainable, energy-efficient retail stores in the United States.

Participants in the June 9 roundtable included Wal-Mart, Petco, Ann Taylor, Target, VF Corp., Best Buy, Westfield, Vornado and Kimco, among others.

Johannesburg, South Africa -- A Tuesday report by Bloomberg said that South Africa’s Economic Development Ministry made an “aggressive intervention” in Wal-Mart Stores’ bid to buy a stake in Massmart Holdings Ltd.

South Africa’s Trade, Economic Development and Agriculture Ministries made a joint bid to the Competition Tribunal to force Wal-Mart to restrict imports if it buys a controlling stake in Johannesburg-based Massmart, concerned about job losses.

New York City -- Kroger Co. appointed Reuben Shaffer as its chief diversity officer, effective immediately. 

Shaffer has been the company’s VP of retail operations for the Cincinnati/Dayton division since 2001. In his new position, he will oversee Kroger’s diversity initiatives, including supplier diversity and integrating the company’s ongoing commitment to create an inclusive culture into business and organization initiatives.
 

By Paul Kinney, [email protected]

Common Area Maintenance (CAM) charges are a headache for commercial tenants of all sizes. Unfortunately, overcharges make the management of CAM expenses a major problem for retail tenants. Responding to the CAM overcharge hot button, the National Retail Tenants Association (NRTA) has once again made CAM management a key topic of its education curriculum of its annual conference planned for this September in Orlando.

All of the proposals voted on at Walmart’s shareholders’ meeting last Friday were defeated, but the official tally of results filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission last night revealed one proposal that drew a surprisingly large number of votes.

Columbia, S.C. -- Edens & Avant announced Friday that its CEO Terry S. Brown has been named the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2011 Carolinas Award winner.

The awards program recognizes entrepreneurs who demonstrate excellence and extraordinary success in such areas as innovation, financial performance and personal commitment to their businesses and communities. Brown was selected as the winner in the real estate category from nearly 100 nominations across the Carolinas.

Springfield, N.J. -- Village Super Market reported Thursday that net income for the third quarter dropped 68% to $1.7 million, primarily due to a $4.2 million charge for the withdrawal liability from a multi-employer pension plan.

Sales grew 5.2% to $316.2 million. Same-store sales increased 4.8%.

Dayton, Ohio -- A report Wednesday by the Business Courier said that Petco has purchased a 29-store Complete Petmart chain, based in Dayton, Ohio.

Financial terms of the purchase were not disclosed. San Diego, Calif.-based Petco said all of the chain's 230 employees will become employees of privately held Petco Animal Supplies.

Petco said it will be making changes to the former Complete Petmart store layouts over the next few weeks.