Corporate Governance

New York -- TPG Architecture has promoted Nicole Varadi from senior designer to design director, retail studio.

Varadi, who joined TPG in 2011, will now take on a greater degree of leadership within the retail studio while continuing to work actively on projects. Recently, she helped lead the design of The Red Door, the award winning day spa and beauty boutique in Union Square. She is currently working with brands such as Sundance and Rent the Runway, and is playing an active role in acquiring new business for the firm.

The Walmart Foundation has kicked off a summer-long initiative to help children and families gain access to nutritious meals and learn healthy-eating habits. Walmart is also collaborating with Chef Lorena Garcia, chef and author with TV appearances on Bravo’s “Top Chef Masters” and NBC’s “Biggest Loser,” to launch the Eat Healthy Together Challenge on Twitter.

Grand Rapids, Mich. -- Meijer on Monday broke ground on a supercenter in Detroit, on the site of a former high school on the city’s west side. The groundbreaking ceremony comes less than a year after Meijer opened a supercenter at the historical Michigan State Fairgrounds in the Motor City.

Dublin, Calif. — dd’s Discounts, a division of Ross Stores, will open its 23rd new store in Florida on June 28 in the Hallandale Shopping Center in Hallandale Beach, Florida. When this store opens, dd’s Discounts will operate more than 140 locations in 12 states. The retailer is on schedule to complete its expansion plan to open approximately 20 locations in 2014.

Charlotte, N.C. – More than nine-in-10 (93%) retailers who have conducted background screening of job applicants have discovered lies on resumes. According to the 2014 HireRight Employee Screening Benchmark Report, 71% of retailers said background screening uncovers issues that would not have been otherwise found.

WTI expects July 2014 to trend similar to last year for the U.S. as a whole. The East will trend near normal or cooler than normal, while warmer than normal temperatures will be confined to the West. Overall, the peak of the summer is shaping up to be very similar to 2013 but with a few major timing differences. Unlike 2013, the hotter weather in 2014 will be back-end loaded in the month just as back-to-school shopping begins, which is a negative for early fall apparel, but favorable for clearing out summer inventory.

Rite Aid’s store in Beverly Hills, California, has completed a major remodel that reflects the latest evolution of the drugstore retailer’s “wellness store” format.  

St. Louis -- Schnuck Markets announced that Robert Hardester has been appointed the company's new CIO. Hardester succeeds Mark Zimmerman, who recently announced that he would be leaving the company.

Hardester most recently served as a VP corporate systems at Express Scripts, where he was responsible for application development. He previously held the position of CIO at Furniture Brands International and at General Electric.