Club & Warehouse

New York City -- Amazon.com, Kohl's Department Stores and Costco Wholesale ranked tops in customer service. according to a new research report published by market researcher Temkin Group.

Retailers took 15 of the top 20 spots in the 2011 Temkin Experience Ratings (www.temkinratings.com), which based its findings on a survey of 6,000 U.S. consumers who had recent interactions with 143 large U.S. companies in a dozen industries.

The 2011 edition of Interbrand’s Best Retail Brands report again lists Target in the second position with a value of $23.3 billion in between number-one-ranked Walmart at $142 billion and third-ranked Home Depot at $20.3 billion.

NEW YORK -- Walmart, Target, The Home Depot, Best Buy and CVS took top honors in Interbrand’s annual ranking of the 50 most valuable U.S. retail brands. The U.S. brands are valued in collaboration with Interbrand Design Forum, the retail experience group within Interbrand.

New York City -- Wal-Mart Stores plans to expand its presence in the smaller cities of China, Ed Chan, CEO and president of the company’s China operations, said today at an investor meeting by video conference, Bloomberg reported.

The discounter may also buy more land to build stores in China, which it predicted will be the world’s largest grocery market by 2014, according to the report. Wal-Mart is building its seventh Sam’s Club outlet in the northeastern port city of Dalian, on the first plot of land it bought in the country.

New York City -- Walmart, Target, The Home Depot, Best Buy and CVS took top honors in Interbrand’s annual ranking of the 50 most valuable U.S. retail brands. The U.S. brands are valued in collaboration with Interbrand Design Forum, the retail experience group within Interbrand.

NEW YORK — Costco Wholesale CEO Jim Sinegal has made the Barron’s magazine list of the top 30 CEOs.

Sinegal earned the 22nd spot on the list. The magazine pointed out his busy travel schedule, which takes him to most of Costco’s 582 stores every year, as well as a recent trip to Asia from which he arrived in Issaquah, Wash., at 8 a.m., showered and was in the office at 9 a.m.

The article can be accessed here.

Bentonville, Ark. -- A comprehensive waste reduction program has resulted in Walmart eliminating more than 80% of the waste that would go to landfills from its operations in California. Walmart’s results exceed both the national average landfill diversion rate of 45% and the California rate of 65%. The program is now being implemented across all of the company’s 4,400 U.S. locations, including Sam’s Club units and distribution centers.

New York City -- Information on Tuesday confirmed that private equity firm Leonard Green & Partners LP is considering an offer to acquire BJ’s Wholesale Club.

Leonard Green, which already as a 9.3% ownership stake in the wholesale club operator, said in an SEC filing that it is examining confidential information provided by BJ's as it evaluates an offer.

BJ's revealed in February that it was considering selling itself.