Mass Merchant

A little over a year into his tenure as Target’s chairman and CEO, Brian Cornell has added new responsibilities as a member of the board of directors at KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell parent company Yum! Brands.
 
Cornell’s appointment to the Yum board comes 13 months after he was named to the top job at Target and just three months after Target sold its pharmacy business to CVS Health for $1.9 billion. The latter is noteworthy because two executives with strong ties to CVS Health serve on Yum’s Nominating and Governance Committee.
 

Ross Dress for Less is expanding its store base in Colorado. The specialty apparel retailer will open a new store in Fort Collins, Colorado on Oct. 10.

The 25,000-sq.-ft. relocation is in the newly renovated Renaissance on the Front Range development (previously Foothills Mall). The opening is part of the retailer’s 2015 expansion program, totaling approximately 70 new locations during the year.

Usually retailers are not pleased when hackers get into their systems, but Walmart Stores Inc. is very happy with three hackers in particular. Walmart will test a new SMS-based customer service tool that won a recent Walmart Labs-sponsored “hackathon.”

Pervasive online price comparisons, the growing popularity of Amazon.com and intense omnichannel activity can be expected this holiday season, according to new consumer research by Market Track.

After an initial public stock offering earlier this year, Ollie’s Bargain Outlet Holdings has added public company governance experience to its board with the appointment of Rue21’s top executive.

Ollie’s said Robert Fisch, chairman, president and CEO of specialty apparel retailer Rue21 had joined its board and increased to seven the number of members. Prior to Rue21, Fisch was president of Casual Corner Group and he has also served as a board member at Children’s Place Retail Stores.

Transwestern's Southeast Investment Services Group representedKentucky-based Langley Properties Co. in the disposition of Pelican Place at Craft Farms for$18.5 million.Atlanta-based RCG Ventures acquired the 229,911-sq.-ft. shopping center located inGulf Shores, Alabama.

Transwestern VPFred Victorrepresented the seller in the transaction. RCG was represented in-house byScott Tarbet, VP of acquisitions.

Two bills passed by a key House committee would help retailers save on store remodeling and improvement costs upfront.

Ikea is expanding yet another of its older U.S. stores.

The home furnishings giant has begun demolishing a covered parking structure where it will construct a new, larger store in Renton, Washington, across the 29-acre parcel from its current Seattle-area store.

Razing the building will make room for construction of the new Renton store, slated to open in spring 2017.

Actual store construction likely will commence later this year after completion of the demolition and site preparation.