Discount Store

The retail industry in general may not be so keen on the new Affordable Care Act, but the nation's largest retailer has come out in support of a Democratic proposal to control spending.

Walmart stores is endorsing a new plan, co-authored by former Obama and Clinton administration officials that would slow healthcare spending and keep it in line with wage growth.

Read more from the Reuters report here.

Chicago -- Chattanooga, Tenn.-based CBL & Associates Properties said that a completely refreshed AMC Loews 6 Theater opens on Aug. 9 at its Chicago Ridge Mall property, located in Chicago Ridge, Ill.

Following the opening of the newly renovated theatre are store openings over the course of the next several months. Crazy 8, Old Navy, Kids Foot Locker and Wetzel’s Pretzels are slated to open before year end, and a newly remodeled Victoria’s Secret and its new Pink boutique opened recently.

Hoffman Estates, Ill. -- Kmart is responding to changing trends affecting the "back-to-school" experience with a number initiatives designed to meet the needs of its consumers.

According to Kmart, more public schools are requiring uniforms and others are now adopting a year-round school calendar. In response, Kmart has adjusted its approach to back-to-school by increasing the number of stores that sell uniforms and aligning its back-to-school sales periods by region to match that of the local school districts.

St. Louis -- Discount grocer Save-A-Lot announced the openings of two grocery stores, one in Orange Park, Fla., and the other in Waveland, Miss.

The Orange Park store opened on Aug. 2, and the Waveland store opened Aug. 5.

Save-A-Lot Food Stores is a subsidiary of Supervalu Inc.

Moorestown, N.J. -- Philadelphia-based Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust said that Australian fashion retailer Cotton On will open its first South Jersey location at Moorestown Mall this fall.

The 3,500-sq.-ft. store joins a recently opened Kids Foot Locker; Crazy 8 is scheduled to join the mall this fall.

Moorestown Mall is a 1 million-sq.-ft. enclosed regional shopping mall anchored by Macy’s, Lord & Taylor, Sears and Boscov’s.

Austin, Texas -- A survey released Tuesday by coupon site RetailMeNot.com found that nearly 80% of parents spend up to $500 per child for back-to-school shopping.

Additionally, the survey – which was conducted with Ipsos Public Affairs – found that the majority of parents get the jump on the school year by starting their shopping in July and August (54%) versus after the school year begins.

A significant number of parents, 29%, find the back-to-school shopping experience to be either annoying or stressful.

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. -- CBL & Associates Properties announced that construction has started  on The Crossings at Marshalls Creek, a 103,000-sq.-ft. shopping center development in Stroudsburg (Middle Smithfield), Pa.

The shopping center will be anchored by Price Chopper grocery, Rite Aid, STS Tire and Auto Centers and Family Dollar and will feature approximately 22,000 sq. ft. of stores and restaurants. The grand opening is scheduled for June 2013.
 

In addition to a John Fleming sighting in Minneapolis, Walmart alums John Menzer and Craig Herkert made news of their own this week.

Menzer resigned as CEO of Michaels following a stroke he suffered back in April, while Herkert was let go from his CEO role at Supervalu following a string of poor results.