Supermarket/Grocery

Claudine McKenzie has been working in the retail industry with Walmart for more than 17 years. Her career path has given her the opportunity to grow from a part-time sales clerk to a store manager all while obtaining her bachelor’s degree and working on a master’s degree.

In this latest installment of “This Is Retail,” an initiative of the National Retail Federation designed to showcase the industry’s diverse career opportunities, McKenzie shares her story.

Kirkland, Wash. – VisibleBrands has raised approximately $2.3 million through a Series B financing to support a regional expansion of its patented in-store digital couponing platform. In preparation for the company’s regional expansion, VisibleBrands promoted Tim Belvin to CEO, succeeding founding CEO Tim Morton.

February 2014 is projected to be the coldest in four years and drier than last year for the U.S. as a whole. Much colder year-on-year trends will be widespread at the start of the month, especially across the Central U.S. The axis of colder temperatures shifts to the Northern Tier of the U.S. by the second week of the month. Much colder trends early in the month will help to clear remaining winter merchandise. A taste of spring arrives in the Deep South in retail week three, making this a favorable time for categories such as sun care, apparel and cold beverages.

The Walmart Foundation’s Colorado State Giving Program has awarded $321,000 to eight Colorado nonprofits that are helping to fund local programs to improve education, women’s economic empowerment, healthy eating and fighting hunger.

The organizations include We Don’t Waste, Lapuente Home, Care and Share, Kids Aid, Project Angel Heart, Women’s Resource Agency, Broadway Assistance Center and Discover Goodwill of Southern and Western Colorado.

Beachwood, Ohio — Nordstrom Rack will open locations at Lake Brandon Plaza in Brandon, Fla., and Harbison Court in Columbia, S.C., this fall. DDR Corp. owns and manages both centers.

Minneapolis – Target Corp. is the latest major retailer to announce it will stop offering health insurance to its part-time employees. In a company blog post on Jan. 21, Target said it will no longer provide health insurance coverage to part time workers after April 1, 2014.

Cincinnati – The Kroger Co. has promoted two veteran company executives. Jay Cummins has been named president of the Smith's Food and Drug Stores division and Joe Fey has been named president of Kroger's Mid-Atlantic division.

Cummins, 62, has been serving as president of Kroger's Mid-Atlantic division. He succeeds Mark Tuffin, who was named senior VP of retail divisions in December 2013.

Kroger has named Jay Cummins as president of the Smith's Food and Drug Stores division and Joe Fey as president of Kroger's Mid-Atlantic division.

Cummins has been serving as president of Kroger's Mid-Atlantic division. He succeeds Mark Tuffin, who was named SVP retail divisions in December.