Retail

Cincinnati -- The Kroger Co. has saved more than 2.34 billion kilowatt hours of electricity, which equals 1.47 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions, in 2011, according to the chain’s sixth annual Sustainability Report.

Chelmsford, Mass. -- A report released Thursday by workforce management solution-provider Kronos Inc. found that retail experienced gains in job applications and hiring during the month of August.

By Kent Smith, [email protected]

Virtually all grocery stores, especially large chain grocery operators, are dealing with the same dilemma when it comes to clustering customers by linking point-of-sale data with loyalty card program information.

And, based on the two very different types of data generated by POS and loyalty cards, it’s obvious to see why grocers are in a quandary on how to approach the issue.

New York -- A new, kids-only sports store in Manhattan, Rookie USA, is utilizing the latest in innovative HD projection and audio-visual technology to engage shoppers.

Sherman Oaks, Calif. -- Brand management company Cherokee Inc. said Thursday that it has acquired the Liz Lange Maternity and Completely Me brands from LLM Management Co., an affiliate of Bluestar Alliance, for about $14 million, effective Sept. 4.

The Marine Stewardship Council received a nearly $11 million cash infusion from a trio of charitable foundations, including the Walton Family Foundation.

Orlando, Fla. -- IBM announced Thursday at its Smarter Commerce Global Summit that RadioShack Corp. is working with IBM's cloud-based solutions to improve price image and pricing operations over the entire pricing lifecycle.

The solutions being used by RadioShack are part of IBM's cloud-based merchandising analytics software and services, which help companies define the optimal price points and product mix based on customer buying trends.

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Dillard's has named Chris Johnson as the company's VP real estate. Johnson, who has served as the Dillard's VP accounting since 2006, will assume the role following the retirement of James Cherry, Jr. in December.