Consumer Electronics

By Brad Tuckman, ksckreate.com

Apple runs a really tight ship. That’s the takeaway of a recent Wall Street Journal article that used confidential Apple store training materials and interviews with current and former store associates to provide a behind-the-scenes look at the tech-giant’s store operations. Among the interesting details: Apple’s annual retail sales per square foot stand at an astounding $4,406.

Here are some other interesting insights from the article:

Orlando, Fla. -- Boston-based The Wilder Cos. said that Bealls will open a new department store at Loop West, located in the southern portion of the Orlando, Fla., market.

Loop West, along with adjacent center The Loop, make up an 840,000-sq.-ft. shopping complex housing 14 specialty anchors and 55 shops, services and eateries. Anchors include Kohl’s, J.C. Penney, TJ Maxx, Bed Bath & Beyond, DSW Shoes, Regal Cinema and more.

Sam’s Club is at it again this weekend. Attempting to persuade members to upgrade to the $100 Plus membership level by dangling the additional savings possible via the eValues program in front of them during a key seasonal sales occasion. The program is innovative and convenient in that money-saving offers are loaded directly onto members’ cards, but encouraging upgrade activity in the current economic climate is quite challenging, even when the immediate savings available via the eValues program more than offset the additional membership fee.

Edmonton, Alberta -- Cabela's will open its first store in Canada’s Alberta province on Aug. 4. It is the second Cabela's to open in Canada.

The 70,000-sq.-ft. store will be built in Cabela's trademark style that showcases the best of the outdoors in a spectacular retail environment. The building's exterior will reflect Cabela's traditional store model with log construction, stonework, wood siding and metal roofing.

Columbus, Ohio-based Steiner + Associates announced that the city of Hampton, Va. has been awarded the 2011 Donald E. Hunter Excellence in Economic Development Planning Award by the American Planning Association for the Peninsula Town Center. Located in Hampton, Va., the Peninsula Town Center represents the successful redevelopment of an enclosed mall into a vibrant town center, providing approximately 2,400 new jobs and significantly increasing the taxable sales base in the city. The site has been effectively transformed from the Coliseum Mall into a regional destination.

Coinstar Inc., operator of 31,800 Redbox DVD rental kiosks and 18,800 coin-counting machines has a new chief customer officer. The position will be filled by Maria Stipp who joins Coinstar with more than 20 years experience in the video game and consumer packaged goods industries.

NEW YORK — Trucks that operate around major U.S. ports tend to be heavier polluters than their over the road counterparts but that situation could change thanks to a new initiative that has drawn support from major retailers and government and non-government entities.