Corporate Governance

H-E-B has registered its new store in Austin for LEED certification and Austin Energy Green Building certification. Apart from using a propane refrigeration system, the store includes a number of other green “firsts” for H-E-B, including the use of 100% LED lighting, radiant floor cooling, a chilled water system that supports the store refrigeration and HVAC systems, chilled sails/beams for cooling, a wood building frame and roof deck, a ceramic-based roof coating and extensive use of photovoltaic panels.

New York -- The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index which had declined in July, increased slightly in August. The Index now stands at 81.5, up from 81.0 in July.

Seattle -- Nordstrom is expanding its partnership with Britain’s fashion-forward women’s apparel brand, Topshop, as well its men’s unit, Topman. Beginning in September, Nordstrom will add 28 Topshop departments and eight Topman departments in stores across the country.

As part of the expansion, Nordstrom and Topshop will partner on a national campaign.

Columbus, Ohio -- DSW Inc. improved upon its results from the second quarter of fiscal 2012 in the second quarter of this fiscal year, reporting increases in net income, sales and same-store sales. The company had net income of $33.7 million, including net after-tax losses and charges, a 15% boost from reported net income of $29.3 million a year earlier.

In addition, net sales rose 9.7% to  $562 million. Same-store sales increased 4.4%.

New York -- Mitchell Klipper, CEO of Barnes & Noble’s retail group., sold off two-thirds of his stock holdings in Barnes & Noble between Aug. 22 and Aug. 26 of this year. An SEC filing indicates that Klipper sold 400,000 of roughly 600,000 shares he held in the company, grossing more than $5.5 million.

Seattle -- Starbucks Coffee Company is making its Evolution Fresh juice and Evolution Harvest premium brands available at Whole Foods Market stores across the United  States. This expansion advances Evolution Fresh growth plans to be in approximately 8,000 Starbucks and grocery locations by the end of the year.

Vero Beach, Fla. -- Boston Barricade Company was chosen as the exclusive barricade and graphics provider for the grand opening of the Fashion Outlets of Chicago., Rosemont, Ill. The first fully enclosed mall to open in the Chicago-area in over 20 years, the 530,000-sq.-ft. center is developed, owned and operated by AWE Talisman and managed by Macerich, a national mall developer.

Hoffman Estates, Ill. -- “The Chore Score,” an app that allows parents to create chore lists for their kids with rewards that can be redeemed at Sears stores or Sears.com, won the recent Sears Startup & Developer Challenge. The contest, held for three days, featured more than 150 participants using the Sears development API to create apps that would strengthen the experience of the Sears Shop Your Way membership program.

Oberlin, Ohio - College students budgeted an average of $447.75 for back-to-college shopping, not including textbooks. However, a recent student panel survey conducted by OnCampus Research, the research arm of indiCo, a division of the National Association of College Stores, shows that despite considering price the most important factor in back-to-school purchases, college students do not always follow or even create a budget.

Bentonville, Ark. – A new Sam’s Club store will open in Glen Carbon, Ill.. on Aug. 29. The store will feature a full-service pharmacy, an optical department and also debut the new Sam's Club Hearing Aid Center, offering technology in hearing aid and personal listening devices with access to a certified audiologist.

The 136,000-sq.-ft. store will use LED lighting, including in the cooler, freezer box doors and jewelry counter that is 70% more efficient than traditional fluorescent lighting.