Corporate Governance

Goodlettsville, Tenn. – Dollar General Corp. plans to increase employee income by making more working hours available to them, as opposed to raising salaries. Seeing a need to improve its stores in the face of expanded competition from the merging Family Dollar Stores Inc. and Dollar Tree Inc., Dollar General hopes to keep shelves better stocked with more labor hours.

Chicago-based True Value Co. showed its true colors -- and legacy when it comes to producing and selling paint -- on Monday during the city’s annual St. Patrick’s Day parade.

The company erected a 40-foot-tall True Value paint stick and stuck it in the water on the northeast corner of Michigan Avenue. The paint stick stunt was conceived by MARC USA Chicago to leverage True Value’s first time as a sponsor of the annual event. The paint stick will be embossed with the line, “The Value Of The Perfect Color.”

Chris Allan was a co-founder of Quantum Retail Technology and now he is the company’s CEO too.

Allan rejoined Quantum, a provider of merchandise optimization and inventory solutions, in late 2014 to lead the company’s retail development and delivery organizations. He will maintain that role in addition to serving as CEO.

Pleasanton, Calif. – Safeway Inc. is reportedly selling three shopping center it owns in Hawaii. According to Pacific Business News, Carlsbad, California-based Terramar Retail Centers is paying about $156 million for the centers.

Two of the centers are anchored by a Safeway – the 23-acre Hokulei Village in Lihue on Kauai for $52.25 million, and the 12-acre Lahaina Cannery Shops on Maui for about $60.3 million. Terramar is also paying $43.4 million for the 24.5-acre Target-anchored Puunene Shopping Center on Maui.

Barnes & Noble is trying to generate excitement around its struggling Nook products with a giveaway tied to social media.

The retailer says the #NOOKReadingStyle Sweepstakes is designed to inspire book lovers to share their reading style on their Facebook pages and other social media channels. Through March 31, participants can enter for a chance to win exciting prizes, including a $500 Gilt E-Gift Card, a Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 NOOK and 100 $25 Barnes & Noble Gift Cards by completing the sweepstakes entry form on the NOOK Facebook page.

Mahwah, N.J. - Inserra Supermarkets has named Ron Onorato as its new president and COO. Onorato takes over the role as Steve Chalas retires from the Inserra after a more than 50-year career.

Onorato brings more than 35 years of industry experience to his new role at Inserra. Previously, Onorato served as the senior VP of operational initiatives of Ahold USA, and as the president of the New York division of Stop & Shop.

Inserra Supermarkets owns and operates 21 ShopRite supermarkets in New Jersey and New York.
 

Seattle – Amazon.com is moving forward in the burgeoning arena of the Internet of Things (IoT), but isn’t making a big deal about it. According to multiple media reports, Amazon has purchased 2lemetry, a Denver-based IoT startup, for an undisclosed sum.

2lemetry provides an enterprise platform that can track and manage Web-connected IoT devices, such as autos and appliances. The company was founded in 2011 and has raised $9 million in venture capital funding since that time.
 

Just in time for spring’s college basketball showdown, Hhgregg is offering a winning deal to customers who shop in-store or online.

The retailer is offering zero down and no-interest financing until January 2018 on qualifying purchases from now until March 28.