Corporate Governance

With hurricane season fast approaching, the Home Depot wants to encourage residents to shop its stores for storm-related gear by hosting nearly 700 storm workshops on May 30 from Texas to Maine.

Walmart and the attorney for comedian Tracy Morgan reached a confidential settlement agreement of a lawsuit stemming from an accident involving a Walmart truck and the vehicle in which Morgan was riding.

Walmart and Benedict P. Morelli, attorney for Tracy Morgan, Ardley Fuqua, and Jeffrey Millea reached a settlement agreement ending the lawsuit against Walmart that arose from a multi-vehicle accident involving the men on June 7, 2014, on the New Jersey Turnpike.

Dublin, Ohio – The Wendy’s Company is the latest retail chain to open a dedicated technology center. Wendy’s has launched 90 Degrees Labs near the campus of The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio.

Atlanta - Hooters of America LLC has finalized an agreement with global commercial real estate services firm Colliers International to have the firm advise Hooters on real estate needs and provide strategic counsel as the brand expands domestically and internationally. Colliers International’s Bob Browning, VP for retail services, and Robert Hantgan, senior VP, are managing the exclusive assignment.

I just got back from the International Council of Shopping Centers’ (ICSC) 2015 RECon Convention in Las Vegas, and I came away feeling as good as I have about the state of the industry in some time (and it wasn’t just the weather, which was delightfully on the cool side). Judging by the buzz on the floor at the convention center, the action was definitely heating up.

Seattle – Amazon.com is reportedly preparing an online marketplace for handmade goods that will appropriately enough be known as “Handmade.” According to the Wall Street Journal, Amazon has been sending targeted emails to Etsy sellers inviting them to sell their wares on Handmade.

The invites do not specify when Handmade will launch or what type of fees sellers will be charged. Etsy sellers are being asked what category of goods they make, such as apparel and baby, and can also select subcategories such as jewelry and home.

Manchester, U.K. - Global online fashion retailer Boohoo has selected cross-channel marketing attribution software company Visual IQ, to provide marketing attribution management solutions across TV and digital channels in support of its 2015 growth initiatives. Boohoo leverages a number of traditional, digital and mobile channels to connect with consumers.

New York -- Saks Fifth Avenue Off 5th will open its first metro downtown store, on Market Street in downtown San Francisco. The new 40,500-sq.-ft. store will celebrate its grand opening on May 28.

“This store is the first Saks Fifth Avenue Off 5th store in a city center, and we believe San Francisco is an ideal location as we begin to expand into metropolitan markets,” said Jonathan Greller, president of outlets, Hudson’s Bay Company, parent company of Saks.
 

Memphis -- AutoZone reported a better-than-expected profit of $309.1 million in its third quarter, up 8.4% from $285.2 million in the year-ago period. Diluted earnings per share increased 13.1% to $9.57 per share, from $8.46 per share in the year-ago quarter. It was the auto retailer’s thirty-fifth consecutive quarter of double digit earnings per share growth.

Sales for the quarter, ended May 9, increased 6.5% to $2.49 billion for the period. Same-store sales increased 2.3%.

O'Fallon, Ill. -- Gander Mountain will open a store in O'Fallon, Illinois, on May 28.

The new 61,000-sq.-ft. Gander Mountain store features an exterior and interior layout that reflect its new store design, featuring innovative interior elements, displays and fixtures.

"We are excited to open our second Gander Mountain location in the St. Louis Metro and provide the countless outdoors enthusiasts with the gear they need," said Gander Mountain president and COO Mike Owens.