Home Improvement

Conshohocken, Pa. -- Ikea announced solar energy is planned for its store under construction in Sweetwater, Fla., which is in the Miami-metro area. Pending permits, installation of solar panels on the store’s roof will begin in several months, with completion by grand opening in summer 2014. Ikea contracted with REC Solar for the development, design and installation of the 416,000-sq.-ft. store’s customized solar power system.

Electrolux North America has recently begun production on its first Memphis, Tenn.-made home cooking appliances.

The inaugural products produced at the Memphis facility, the Frigidaire and Frigidaire Gallery slide–in ranges, rolled off the assembly line, were crated and loaded onto trucks for warehousing and retail distribution throughout the United States. This marks the culmination of a two-year construction effort of the $266 million facility.

Fairfield, N.J. -- Amerlux CEO/president Chuck Campagna has announced that Chris McQuillan has joined the management team as VP of sales. Amerlux is a global leader in innovation, manufacturing and creative lighting solutions for a broad range of commercial, retail, hospitality and institutional environments.  

Lowe’s is kicking off the holiday season by positioning itself as the go-to place for DIYers to shop for materials that will allow them to tackle budget-friendly DIY projects so they can prepare their homes for the holidays.

The home improvement retailer has a dedicated landing page offering inspiration from do-it-yourselfers and designers, including Design Mom, Little Green Notebook, Brit + Co., Curbly and P.S. – I made this… and Oh Happy Day.

Beloit, Wis. – Online coupon provider FatWallet predicts a larger selection and assortment of lower-priced Black Friday deals in 2013 as compared to the previous year. Notable predictions include:

Tarrytown, N.Y. — DLC Management Corporation, a national owner and operator of open-air shopping centers, announces the following new leases that were signed in October 2013:

•    Back to Bed, 3,852 SF, Crossroads Shopping Center – Schererville, Ind.
•    Better Sofas, 3,590 SF, Southwest Plaza – Roanoke, Va.

•    China Buffet, 4,500 SF, King City Square – Mount Vernon, Ill.


Dallas -- The Container Store Group, Inc. has completed its IPO of 14.375 million shares of its common stock at a price to the public of $18 per share, including 1.875 million shares sold in connection with the full exercise of the option to purchase additional shares granted to the underwriters.

Bentonville, Ark. – A glitch on the U.S. website of Wal-Mart reportedly provided consumers with enormous discounts for a short time on the morning of Nov. 6. According to Reuters, treadmills that normally cost hundreds of dollars were selling for $33.16 and widescreen computer monitors were selling for $9.

Wal-Mart has not said how many discounted items were sold before the glitch was discovered. The retailer has also said it will not honor any sales resulting from the glitch, but will give those consumers a $10 gift card.