Corporate Governance

Chicago -- The list of online retailers jumping into the offline space keeps getting longer. And this one has celebrity underpinnings.

At Home is accelerating its pace in its race to operate 100 stores by opening its first store in the state of Louisiana.

The retailer is opening a 90,000 square foot store in Kenner, La., on July 9.

Following the store opening, the Kenner location will have a grand opening ribbon-cutting July 14 at 9 a.m. with the Jefferson Chamber of Commerce and onsite giveaways for customers and a radio remote on July 18.

Target Corp. is putting a spotlight on how the “Internet of Things“(IoT) will transform consumers’ homes and lives.

Burlington, Ontario -- Ikea Canada announced the national rollout of electric vehicle charging stations at each of its 12 stores across Canada.  

The rollout, set to be completed by late August of this year, is the first national installation of EV charging stations in Canada by a retailer at all of its locations.

Fred's Inc. says the expansion of its specialty pharmacy business helped drive an increase in sales in June.

Fred's total sales for the period ended July 4 increased 12% to $212.9 million from $190.8 million in June 2014. Excluding $7.4 million from last year's June sales for 56 subsequently closed locations, total sales increased 16% for the month. Same store sales for the month increased 1.6% compared with a decrease of 0.6% in the same period last year.

Phoenix -- DTZ, a leader in commercial real estate services, announced the $52 million sale of Crossroads Towne Center in North Las Vegas -- a 148,791-sq.-ft. neighborhood retail center located on 16.34 acres -- on behalf of the sellers, a company formed by The Eagle Group, Los Angeles. The buyer was a company formed by Cornerstone Advisers of Santa Monica, California.

New York -- Every retailer needs a good CFO and that’s especially true at Conn’s where the company’s business model requires balancing the need to grow sales against the charge off risk associated with extending credit to subprime customers.

Conn’s, the 90-store retailer of furniture, bedding, appliances and consumer electronics, named Thomas Moran CFO on July 9. He replaces Mark Haley, Conn’s chief accounting officer, who had filled the position on an interim basis since last December.

Shoppers who drive an electric vehicle and shop at Ikea in Canada just got a big gift from the Swedish retailer.