Supply Chain & Merchandising

With Earth Day upon the retail industry all sorts of operators are touting accomplishments, including Staples where an impressive milestone demonstrates how a company can do well by doing good.

The company said it has collected more than 450 million ink and toner cartridges for recycling in the U.S. since 2005, averaging more than 60 million cartridges per year for the past four years. Through the cartridge recycling program, Staples has helped recover and recycle 234 million pounds of plastics and metals, diverting roughly the weight of 8,000 full garbage trucks from landfills.

City of Industry, Calif. – 99 Cents Only Stores Inc. plans to open nine new stores in Arizona, California and Texas between April 16 and April 18. On April 16, 99 Cents Only will open new stores in Canoga Park, Glendora and Vallejo, California.

On April 17, 99 Cents Only will open new stores in Chico and Escondido, California and Houston. On Saturday, April 18, 99 Cents Only will open new stores in Mesa, Arizona and Sylmar and Tustin, California.

Dick’s Sporting Goods plans to spend $850 million over the next three years to add as many as 150 stores while growing total sales to as much as $9 billion with e-commerce contributing more than $1 billion.

Livonia, Mich. -- Pet Supplies Plus, the nation’s largest pet retail franchise with more than 300 locations in 25 states, announced it has signed six new franchise agreements to bring its neighborhood pet store concept to Boca Raton, Florida; Tampa, Florida; Stephenville, Texas; Elizabethtown, Kentucky; Hartland, Michigan and Greenville, South Carolina.
 

Meijer is incenting customers to make generous donations to hunger relief organizations by offering to double their contributions.

As part of the retailer’s Simply Give hunger relief program, plans call for Meijer to contribute $20 every time a customer donates $10 resulting in a combined $30 donation to local food pantries. The company conducts its Simply Given campaign three times a year. The Spring effort runs through May 7 but the generous matching offer is good April 17-18.

Albuquerque, N.M. -- Heslin Holdings, Inc. announced the acquisition of West Central Plaza Shopping Center, a retail property located in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The firm plans to invest more than $12 million -- for both the acquisition and to redevelop and re-tenant the property -- as part of a value-add investment strategy.
 

Littleton, Mass. - Dover Saddlery Inc. entered into a definitive merger agreement with a company formed by Webster Capital. Webster will acquire all of the outstanding shares of Dover common stock for $8.50 per share in cash and take Dover private.

New York -- Lower gas prices and an increase in the average age of U.S. cars on the road didn’t help Pep Boys’ performance in the fourth quarter, posted a wider loss in the fourth quarter. The auto parts chain had a loss of $26.7 million, compared to a loss of $3.33 million a year earlier. The latest results included a net charge of $12.4 million for write-downs and severance expenses.