eCommerce

Oak Brook, Ill. -- Inland Real Estate Acquisitions said Thursday it has purchased nine Dollar General stores in Alabama and Georgia for $8.5 million.

According to a report by the Atlanta Business Chronicle, the stores were built in 2010 and all leased to Dollar General Corp. through 2025 with multiple renewal options.

The stores range in size from approximately 9,000 sq. ft. to 10,600 sq. ft.

WASHINGTON — Retailers are ready to expand again, and likely will do so as the economy picks up, according to a new survey conducted by the charitable arm of the National Retail Federation and KPMG.

Washington, D.C. -- An endorsement by First Lady Michelle Obama of its new food nutrition and health initiative has helped to propel Wal-Mart Stores forward in its plans to remove political obstacles to further U.S. growth.

The new healthy food drive, in which Walmart is reformulating its Great Value private-label foods to reduce sodium and sugar contents, was announced on Thursday at a community center in a low-income area of Washington, D.C. It was attended by the First Lady, who also leads an administration initiative to fight childhood obesity.

New York City -- New York & Co. announced on Wednesday the appointment of David Witkewicz to executive VP design, effective this month.

Witkewicz will report to Greg Scott, president, and will serve on the company’s executive committee.

Witkewicz was previously VP design for Coach.

New York City -- Amazon.com said Thursday it is buying Lovefilm, a European movie rental service akin to Netflix, according to a report by the Associated Press.

Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

Lovefilm operates in the United Kingdom, Germany, Sweden, Norway and Denmark. Much like Netflix, it is a subscription-based service through which people can rent movies by mail or watch them on TV or any other device with a high-speed Internet connection. The company also offers TV shows and games.

Cincinnati -- A survey released Thursday by Cintas Corp. found that 99% of U.S. adults say poor cleanliness negatively impacts their perception of a retail store.

In the telephone survey conducted by Harris Interactive among more than 1,000 U.S. adults ages 18 and older, respondents said that dirty restrooms and unpleasant odors are more annoying than poor customer service.

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. — Fast on the heels of her departure from Ahold USA’s Giant Foods of Landover supermarket unit, Robin Michel has been tapped for an increasingly critical role at retail giant Sears Holdings. Michel, who left as president of Giant-Landover in December 2010, will serve as SVP and president of food and consumables, health and beauty and pharmacy at Sears and its Kmart subsidiary.

SARASOTA, Fla. -- The Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) announced that Bill Simon, president and CEO of Walmart stores, and Steven Preston, president and CEO of OakLeaf Waste Management were named to the RILA board of directors, following the board’s semi-annual board of directors meeting held Sunday in Sarasota, Fla.

Simon replaces Walmart vice chairman and president and CEO of global e-commerce and global sourcing Eduardo Castro-Wright.