Corporate Governance

Mall barricade systems have evolved greatly in recent years, in terms of both the way they are engineered to their graphic applications. Perhaps the biggest change has been the transition from drywall barricades to modular ones. Chain Store Age spoke with Bob Putnam, president of Boston Barricade Co., Vero Beach, Fla., about the latest trends in barricades. 

How have mall barricades evolved over the years?

By Rich Arlington

Record snowfall last season spelled trouble for many roofs and parking garage decks. The continuous storms that dumped more than 2 ft. of snow in New England alone had facility owners frantically addressing weight load issues as heavy snow and ice threatened, and in some cases caused, roof and deck top collapses. The fallout: a rise in lawsuits as owners, insurance companies and snow contractors battle over snow and ice procedures followed, or not, in comparison with written contracts.

By Craig Johnson

Despite being only the penultimate Saturday before Christmas, 2011’s “Super Saturday” December 17 broke the all-time record for holiday spending, with an estimated $26 billion in total retail sales, according to retail consultancy Customer Growth Partners. The total was just shy of the record $27 billion spent on Black Friday.

Sustainability and energy conservation are built into the DNA of Market of Choice, a regional natural and organic grocery store operator based in Eugene, Ore. The family-owned chain employs energy-saving air curtains, sells power generated from its own 130.0 kW solar photovoltaic rooftop system and composts its own food wastes. And it is in the middle of an energy-saving lighting retrofit. Here are the details on the major elements of the company’s energy-saving efforts:

New York — Finish Line Inc.'s third-quarter earnings rose 35% amid rising digital sales and higher demand for running and basketball gear. The chain has reported nine consecutive quarters of same-store sales growth, including a 7.7% jump in the latest period.

For the quarter ended Nov. 26, the company posted a profit of $5.5 million, up from $4.1 million a year earlier. Revenue increased 8.1% to $282 million. Digital sales jumped 61%, following similar increases in the first two quarters of the year.

SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. — A regional supermarket chain and its charitable arm once again has donated funds to the United States Marine Corps Reserve's Toys for Tots program.

Stater Bros., along with Stater Bros. Charities, earlier this month presented a $26,000 check to the program, which will be used to purchase toys that will be distributed to community-based organizations in San Bernardino and Riverside Counties.

PITTSBURGH — With the opening of stores in the new international markets of Morocco, Jordan and Egypt, as well as expansion plans in Saudi Arabia and Lebanon, American Eagle Outfitters is establishing quite a presence in the Middle East.

DEERFIELD, Ill. — As Walgreens prepares for life outside of the Express Scripts pharmacy network, executives over the course of a Wednesday morning first-quarter conference call continued to maintain they, along with healthcare payers and employers, will be better off for it.

Ace Hardware appointed John Venhuizen chief operating officer, effective Jan. 1, 2012.

Venhuizen has spent nearly two decades with Ace and most recently served as executive VP supply chain, information technology (IT) and international. In this position, he helped grow the number of Ace stores around the world, as well as create a variety of successful support and incentive programs for retailers.

LAS VEGAS — The premier prizes in the supply chain world will be up for grabs in the coming months as the Voluntary Interindustry Commerce Solutions Associations (VICS) has begun soliciting entries for its 15th annual awards program. The awards will be presented at the VICS Collaborative Commerce Achievement Awards Dinner sponsored by Hewlett-Packard to be held June 4 at the Aria Resort & Casino in Las Vegas.