Department Store

Waban, Mass. -- Research results released Wednesday by Temkin Group put grocers Publix and Hy-Vee along with credit unions and Chick-fil-A at the top of its 2012 Temkin Customer Service Ratings, which examines how U.S. consumers rate the customer service of 174 large companies across 18 industries.

Other high marks were given by consumers to H.E.B., Sam's Club, Winn-Dixie, ShopRite, Aldi, Starbucks, Giant Eagle and J.C. Penney.

Fort Worth, Texas -- Fort Worth-based Trademark Property Co. said Tuesday that Dick’s Sporting Goods will open at Alliance Town Center, located in North Fort Worth.

The 50,000-sq.-ft. store will anchor a 140,000-sq.-ft. Phase 2 of the center. Construction on Dick’s is scheduled to begin in July with opening set for summer 2013.

Alliance Town Center, currently 800,000 sq. ft., is a joint venture of Hillwood and Trademark, and is part of the 17,000-acre Alliance, Texas, master-planned community.

WABAN, Mass. — Publix, Hy-Vee, H.E.B., Sam's Club, ShopRite, Aldi, Giant Eagle and JCPenney were among the highest-rated companies for customer service, according to new research from the Temkin Group.

Other companies earning top marks included Chick-fil-A, credit unions and Starbucks. Meanwhile, companies with the lowest ratings included Charter Communications, Time Warner Cable, Comcast, Citibank, Qwest, Cigna, and Bank of America.

Moorestown, N.J. -- Philadelphia-based Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust said that Cinnabon has opened a 210-sq.-ft. kiosk at Moorestown Mall, located in Moorestown, N.J.

Cinnabon opened at Moorestown Mall on the heels of Books for Less, while Play N Trade and Nailery are set to open at the mall this summer.

Seattle — Former Nordstrom executive, Loretta Soffe, has joined the advisory board of Zoomingo, which creates shopping discovery apps that help consumers find the best sales in their local stores anywhere in the nation.

Soffe spent 24 years at Nordstrom in buying, merchandising and product development. For the last 10 years, she served as EVP, general merchandise manager of women's, the largest division in the company with annual sales of $2.0 billion.

New York — The Jones Group has named George Sharp EVP design, a newly created position. Sharp will report to Stefani Greenfield, chief creative officer, and will work across all brands.

"George is an exceptional talent who brings tremendous experience and knowledge to The Jones Group," said Stefani Greenfield, chief creative officer of The Jones Group. "He will work closely with all of our brands to ensure that great design leads the process by which our brands enter the market."

MENOMONEE FALLS, Wis. — Kohl's has launched its latest Kohl's Cares campaign around the character of Skippyjon Jones, created by Judy Schachner.

New Orleans — Despite reporting an uptick in organized retail crime, the National Retail Federation revealed that retail theft rates decreased in 2011, according to preliminary results of the organization's latest National Retail Security survey.