Corporate Governance

Pittsburgh -- Dick's Sporting Goods announced the openings of two new stores, one in Kentucky, and its first ever in the state of Wyoming.

The retailer said it will open a store in Casper, Wy., on Oct. 25 at the Eastridge Mall. Also on Oct. 25, Dick’s will open at Gary Farms, Bowling Green, Ky.

The Bowling Green location will be the retailer's ninth store in the state of Kentucky and its 544th nationwide. 
 

Chicago -- Although the first government shutdown in 17 years lasted 16 days, it left an impact on more than just the workers sent home after lawmakers failed to arrive at a deal to end the spending and debt stalemate. Total retail store shopper traffic during the week of Sept. 29 to Oct. 5 decreased 7.5% compared to the same time period last year, according to ShopperTrak, a leading provider of shopper analytics.

The Washington, D.C. area saw an even greater decrease, with an 11.4% decline in year-over-year shopper traffic the week of Oct. 6-12.

Plano, Texas -- J.C. Penney joined the list of retail chains that plan to open their stores on Thanksgiving night to kick off the holiday shopping season.  

Penney will open most of its 1,100 stores at 8 p.m., the same as Macy's. Last year, Penney opened its stores at 6 a.m. on Black Friday, while rivals Macy’s and Kohl’s opened their doors at midnight.

Leading U.K. food retailer Sainsbury just past online grocery sales of £1 billion ($1.6 billion U.S.) and to celebrate the occasion announced plans to open its first dedicated online fulfillment center in east London.

Home delivery of grocery is more commonplace in the U.K., especially London, where higher population densities and prohibitively high fuel prices discourage vehicle ownership.

Sauk Rapids, Minn. — The Mansour Group www.themansourgroup.com has closed on the sale of a Walgreens in Sauk rapids, Minn., in the St. Cloud metropolitan area, for $10.9 million.

Mansour had the exclusive listing to market the property on behalf of the seller, a developer in Houston. The property generated multiple offers and sold to a 1031 California investor who needed a premium investment to meet the exchange needs.

Former Walmart executive Dijuana Lewis will be joining Aetna as EVP, responsible for the newly formed Consumer Products and Enterprise Marketing organization.

In this role, she will be responsible for aligning consumer-focused businesses, products, services and capabilities to deliver a personalized end-to-end consumer experience that positions the company for long-term growth.

Lewis will report directly to Aetna chairman, CEO and president Mark Bertolini and will be a member of the company’s executive committee.

Medford, Mass. — A joint venture between Charter Realty & Development Corp. and Regency Centers Corporation has acquired Fellsway Plaza in Medford, Mass. The joint venture acquired the 150,000-sq.-ft. neighborhood center, anchored by a recently constructed Stop & Shop, from Berenson Associates of Boston. PNC Bank provided permanent and development financing. Commercial Property Group represented the joint venture in the transaction.

Hibbett Sports has put its succession plan into motion. Effective Feb. 2, 2014, Mickey Newsome will go from executive chairman of the board and CEO to non-executive chairman. Additionally, president and CEO Jeff Rosenthal has been appointed to the board, bringing the total number of members 10.