Mass Merchant

Columbus, Ohio — Casto has completed the redevelopment of Sawmill Square shopping center in the Dublin/NW Columbus area of Central Ohio. The redevelopment included the opening of a new Wal-Mart Supercenter.

The center has also added a McAlister’s Deli, the first in Central Ohio. McAlister will join other new tenants, Sally Beauty and GameStop, as well as the existing line-up of retailers including Z Salon, The UPS Store, Thai Orchid, Huntington Bank, Skyline Chili, Burger King, Goodyear and PNC.


 

Dublin, Calif. — dd’s Discounts, a division of Ross Stores, will open its 23rd new store in Florida on June 28 in the Hallandale Shopping Center in Hallandale Beach, Florida. When this store opens, dd’s Discounts will operate more than 140 locations in 12 states. The retailer is on schedule to complete its expansion plan to open approximately 20 locations in 2014.

David Campisi joined Big Lots a little more than a year ago as president and CEO and with sales and profits gathering momentum the nation’s leading off-price retailer has decided to begin paying a hefty dividend.

The operator of roughly 1,500 stores nationwide said it would begin paying a quarterly dividend of 17 cents a share as part of a more balanced approach to returning cash to shareholders and as a reflection of confidence in the company’s strategy and favorable long-term prospects.

Trenton, N.J. -- TerraCycle, an international recycling company, and The North Face are working together to pursue a solution to the common problem of massive amounts of left over polyethylene bags that are used to protect merchandise through distribution and transit. The North Face has engaged 25 of its retail stores in TerraCycle’s The North Face Polybag Brigade, to ensure these plastic bags get recycled. Together the two companies have kept 1.5 million plastic polybags, equaling more than 62,000 lbs., of plastic out of U.S. landfills.

While Walmart and the Walton family were taking heat, again, on the national stage over worker pay and alleged stinginess, it was a different situation in Northwest Arkansas where generosity was in plain view.

The Walmart NW Arkansas Championship presented by P&G is underway at the Pinnacle Country Club and as has been the case in years past the LPGA golf tournament is accompanied by numerous charitable donations.

MISSISSAUGA, Ontario -- Target announced that all 124 store locations it has opened across Canada in 2013 have been awarded Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) certification.

The Shopko Foundation has announced the recipients of its Shopko Teammate and Family Scholarships for the 2014-2015 school year. The foundation awarded $75,000 in scholarships to 30 students in 9 states.