Corporate Governance

Giant Eagle, Rite Aid, ExxonMobil and Kum & Go are among the growing number of merchants to become members of the Merchant Customer Exchange’s group, which is made up of leading merchants dedicated to improving the shopping experience by offering consumers a widely accepted, customer-focused and secure mobile commerce platform.

With these new member additions, more than 50 merchants are now part of MCX, representing more than 100,000 locations and more than $1 trillion in payments annually.

Newegg, a leading electronics-focused e-retailer in the United States, is leveraging its record-breaking Black November sales for its Marketplace Division to drive additional sales this holiday season.

Newegg Marketplace reported sales of 109% year-over-year, making this the second consecutive year of triple-digit growth.

Newegg has also added Cooking.com, eBags.com, Griffin Technology, Overstock.com, Samy's Camera, Toys "R" Us and Babies "R" Us to its Marketplace this year.

Import volume at the nation’s major retail container ports is expected to grow 1.8% in December, compared to the same month last year, and the year should end with an increase of 2.3% from 2012.

According to the monthly Global Port Tracker report released by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates, U.S. ports followed by Global Port Tracker handled 1.43 million 20-ft. Equivalent Units (TEU) in October, the latest month for which after-the-fact numbers are available.

The Pep Boys is converting 18 recently acquired Service & Tire Centers in Southern California to its new Road Ahead format and preparing for the grand reopening of six supercenters and five Service & Tire Centers in Tampa, Fla.

The company already converted nine Service & Tire Centers to the Road Ahead format this year, and reported that performance at those stores has been ahead of original projections. The company also plans to convert three additional smaller markets (20 supercenters) in the first half of 2014.

Product designer, marketer and distributor FirsTime Design Limited elevated Christopher Bering to the role of president and CEO.

The company, which does business as FirsTime Manufactory through its License Products subsidiary, said Bering will also serve as a member of the board. Bering previously served as president and COO and fills the position occupied by Pete Wierenga since January 2012. Wierenga will continue to serve as chairman of the board.

New York -- Barnes & Noble Inc. said is cooperating with a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission investigation into its accounting.

The SEC notified the bookseller Oct. 16 that it was investigating the company's restatement of earnings announced in July.
 
The agency’s New York regional office also said it was looking into a former non-executive employee's allegation that the company improperly allocated certain expenses between its Nook e-reader and retail businesses.

Los Angeles -- International payment and business development platform Payelp Global is partnering with mobile payment service Onebip, part of global mobile commerce group Neomobile.

Beachwood, Ohio — DDR Corp. has announced the completion of a $12 million redevelopment project at Sandy Plains Village, a power center located in the Atlanta suburb of Roswell.

The redevelopment installed a 60,000-sq.-ft. Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market in a space formerly occupied by a traditional grocer. The new location is DDR’s 79th Wal-Mart store and the company’s eighth in the Atlanta market.

Peoria, Ill. — Called The Levee District, the 86-acre new downtown going up in East Peoria, Ill., will include 500,000 sq. ft. of retail and restaurant space as well as office, hotel and civic components.

Four new retailers recently inked leases for space in The Levee District.

Construction is well underway on a 10,400-sq.-ft. space next to Gordmans to be occupied by Shoe Dept Encore. The new store plans to open in the spring of 2014.

Fort Worth, Texas — Trademark Property Co. and Zapolski Real Estate LLC have announced a joint venture to lead the $25 million redevelopment, now underway, of Napa Center, a 153,000-sq.-ft. retail and hospitality district in the heart of downtown Napa, Calif.