Events

Cincinnati -- Steiner + Associates and Bucksbaum Retail Properties released the names of 24 additional retailers to join super-regional, mixed-use Liberty Center in Cincinnati, which is scheduled for a grand opening on Oct. 22.

The 64 acre, 1.2 million sq. ft. Liberty Center is located at the junction of the Liberty Way Interchange at I-75 and SR 129 in Cincinnati. The project includes more than 800,000 sq. ft. of retail, restaurants and entertainment, 75,000 sq. ft. of office space, 240 luxury apartments and the 130-key hotel.

Smart & Final celebrated the one year anniversary of its public stock offering by telling investors a growth story about differentiation and new store expansion.
 
Smart & Final, a uniquely positioned operator of 266 warehouse style stores, has plans to open 100 new stores in the Western United States during the next four years. CEO Dave Hirz dropped that bombshell while he and other senior members of the company were at the New York Stock Exchange to ring the opening bell to commemorate the one year anniversary of the company’s listing.

New York -- Apple Pay will soon have a rival. Google Inc. is launching a successor to Google Wallet called Android Pay, for Android phones running KitKat and above, PC World reported. It will be available in over 700,000 stores, including Macy’s, Bloomingdale’s, and McDonald’s locations.

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Kroger’s annual Leadership Summit will begin in unconventional fashion when thousands of employees form a human breast cancer awareness ribbon Sept. 29 on the field of Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati.

Beginning Oct. 7, OnSite will be distributed every week, on Wednesdays.

Learn how Saks Fifth Avenue reduced its energy use by 23% and saved millions of dollars—with no adverse impact on the customer experience — at a Webinar on Thursday, September 24, 2015, at 2 p.m. (EST). Hear first-hand how Saks is adding to its bottom line by reduced energy consumption.

Gary Levitan, senior manager of energy and utilities for Saks’ parent Hudson’s Bay Company will explain how the retailer used data to win budget approval for energy efficiency projects — and build longer-term energy plans.



Don’t assume that the layoff of 275 IT employees in August 2015 by Target Corp. means the retailer is reducing its focus on in-house technology operations. According to the Wall Street Journal, the layoffs actually set the stage for a big push away from IT outsourcing and toward hiring 1,000 new global technology workers.

Usually retailers are not pleased when hackers get into their systems, but Walmart Stores Inc. is very happy with three hackers in particular. Walmart will test a new SMS-based customer service tool that won a recent Walmart Labs-sponsored “hackathon.”

After an initial public stock offering earlier this year, Ollie’s Bargain Outlet Holdings has added public company governance experience to its board with the appointment of Rue21’s top executive.

Ollie’s said Robert Fisch, chairman, president and CEO of specialty apparel retailer Rue21 had joined its board and increased to seven the number of members. Prior to Rue21, Fisch was president of Casual Corner Group and he has also served as a board member at Children’s Place Retail Stores.

Lessons in Leadership is the name of a new documentary film profiling the life and contributions of Food Lion co-founder Ralph Ketner who turned 95 this month.