Corporate Governance

Aventura, Fla. -- In another move to capitalize on its extensive real estate portfolio, Sears Holdings Corp. has submitted plans to the City of Aventura in Florida for the redevelopment of the Sears property at Aventura Mall into an open-air village that will feature retail, restaurants, offices and a hotel.

 

Austin, Texas -- Gen Y consumers, whose annual spending power is estimated at $200 billion, prefer to shop at retailers that offer financing options, according to a new study.   An eNation study of more than 2,000 consumers, commissioned by financial technology company NewComLink, found that 59% of shoppers between the ages of 18 and 34 say their choice of retailer is impacted by whether that retailer offers financing options.  

London -- Leading British retailer Asda has partnered with ecommerce performance marketing company HookLogic to launch the company’s first venture into the European market.    

The Joseph Abboud brand has launched an exclusive new collection at JosephAbbound.com and in early 2015 the brand plans to open its first physical store thanks to parent company Men’s Wearhouse.

Customers and store associates at Sobey’s stores in Canada are seeing red after the operator of 1,500 stores became the latest company to use PECO Pallet’s distinctively colored pallets.

PECO said it added Sobeys to its growing list of authorized distributors in Canada so that Canadian and U.S. manufacturers and produce companies can now ship their products into Sobeys supermarkets throughout Canada on PECO’s wooden pallets.

No company protects more mobile devices than Otter Products and now the maker of the ubiquitious OtterBox and LifeProof brands has a new CEO.

The Walmart Foundation increased to $10 million its investment in an educational program on track to provide training to 60,000 women in 150 factories.

The increased funding commitment to the Women in Factories program begun in 2011 was announced in Beijing by Scott Price, CEO of Walmart Asia at the 2014 APEC CEO Summit. The Women in Factories program has already provided training to 40,000 female factory workers and by the end of 2016 the figure is expected to increase to 60,000 women at factories in India, Bangladesh, China, El Salvador, and Honduras.

Teen specialty retailer Rue21 has launched a new juniors plus size division called Rue+ the company said its customers have been asking for.

The Rue+ division is intended to serve as a destination for trendy yet affordable plus size apparel and accessories that will inspire and empower plus sized girls to feel confident in how they look, according to the company. The product offering will be available at Rue21.com and in 22 of the company’s 1,100 stores nationwide.

For the second year in a row, Sports Authority said most of its stores would open at 6 p.m. Thanksgiving Day.

New York -- The CEO of Fastenal, Willard Oberton,  will resign from the 2,700 store chain, effective Dec. 31. Oberton, 56, will remain chairman of the company and continue to be actively involved in strategic planning and performance measurements.