Home Depot

New York -- Canadian home-improvement retailer Rona reported a loss of $136.5 million for the second quarter, compared with a profit of $36.9 million a year earlier, hurt by restructuring costs and tightened market conditions.

According to a report by Reuters, Rona revenue fell 4.6% to $1.21 billion, and same-store sales dipped 1%. Analysts expected revenue of $1.35 billion.

Robert Howard is the newest partner in the Retail and Consumer Products Group at management consulting firm Kurt Salmon.

Atlanta – The Home Depot is recalling about 107,000 Chinese-made fan heaters because the fan's plastic housing can melt, deform and catch fire during use, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). The Soleil portable fan heaters, marked with model number LH-707, cost about $15 each, and Home Depot will issue a full refund for the purchase price.

The heaters were sold between September 2012 and May 2013 for about $15 each. The CPSC says there have been 464 reports of fans melting, but no injury or property damage has been reported.

Purchase, N.Y. -- Chipotle Mexican Grill has opened at Orange Plaza, an 815,000-sq.-ft. Middletown, N.Y. power-center owned by National Realty & Development Corp.

Orange Plaza’s anchors include a Wal-Mart Supercenter, The Home Depot, Kohl’s Department Store, Burlington Coat Factory, Marshalls, Bed Bath & Beyond and Staples.

The center draws shoppers from a 12-mile radius with a population of more than 157,000. Approximately 20,000 of the 46,000 vehicles passing the center every day are shopping center destination trips.

Schenectady, N.Y. -- Price Chopper Supermarkets said it has named Karlin Bohnert as senior VP of information systems/CIO.

Bohnert most recently served as CIO of RGIS in Auburn Hills, Mich. She joins Price Chopper with more 30 years of strategic IT experience gained at such companies as Walmart, Home Depot, ANF, The Limited and MCI.

Plano, Texas -- J.C. Penney became the latest retail chain to say it will stop selling products associated with celebrity chef Paula Deen following her admission she has made racially derogatory remarks.

In addition, Ballantine Books has ended an agreement with her to publish five books. That agreement included "Paula Deen's New Testament: 250 Favorite Recipes, All Lightened Up,” which was scheduled for release in October 2013 and had reached number one in presales on Amazon.com and the Barnes and Noble website.

Hoffman Estates, Ill. - Sears Holdings on Friday joined the growing list of retailers and other companies severing ties with Southern celebrity chef Paula Deen in the wake of the controversy regarding her use of a racial slur. Both Sears and Kmart sold Paula Deen products.

“After careful consideration of all available information, we have made the decision to phase out all products tied to the brand,” Sears said in a statement. “We will continue to evaluate the situation. Our members’ needs will be given first priority.’

Paula Deen fell from grace this week faster than a slab of butter melting in one of her opening price point pans Walmart no longer sells.

Walmart, as well as Home Depot, Target and Smithfield Foods, sought to distance themselves from Deen after racist comments she made during a deposition came to light and she was canned by the Food Network.