Supply Chain & Merchandising

Charlotte, N.C. -- Aston Properties announced plans to develop Caldwell Crossing in Harrisburg, North Carolina, on the corner of Caldwell Road and Hwy. 49. 

Construction has begun on the 85,000-sq.-ft. center with an anticipated opening date in late fall 2015.

Caldwell Crossing will be anchored by a Harris Teeter grocery store and will include up to 26,000 sq. ft. of small shops. In addition to Harris Teeter and the shops, the center will include two outparcels.

New York -- Application delivery and security solution-provider for virtual and cloud data centers, Radware, announced Blueport Commerce, a Software-as-a-Service omnichannel solution for the furniture industry, has selected the Alteon NG to help drive online sales and manage its ecommerce platform.

Unprecedented volatility and declining milk volumes caused leading dairy supplier Dean Foods to report a second quarter loss and suspend full year guidance.

Sales increased to 9% to $2.4 billion, but the company reported an adjusted loss of $13 million, or 14 cents a share, compared to a prior year adjusted profit of $24 million, or 26 cents a share.

Sears Holdings has appointed former Tesco executive Alasdair James as president and chief member officer for the Kmart business.

In this role, James will be responsible for driving the Kmart format strategy, managing the Kmart P&L and aligning merchandise, marketing, pricing and selling with the needs and wants of Shop Your Way members.

Brooklyn, N.Y. -- Winick Realty Group said that Pair Wine and Cheese, a retail café focused on the precise pairings of wines and cheeses, has signed a lease for its first location at 140 Atlantic Avenue between Henry and Clinton Streets in the Cobble Hill section of Brooklyn.

Set to open in fourth quarter 2014, Pair Wine and Cheese will occupy approximately 1,000 sq. ft. on the ground floor, as well as about 500 sq. ft. in an outdoor garden.

Washington, D.C. -- The Global Port Tracker report released by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates said that import volume at major U.S. container ports is expected to hit an all-time record in August.
 
Retailers concerned about the lack of a West Coast longshoremen’s contract are rushing to bring holiday season merchandise into the country, according to NRF.

Three executives were named to new roles at leading appliance and consumer electronics manufacturer Haier America.

Haier America, part of the $29 billion Haier Group, named Gina Copeland SVP of air quality, Sanjay Gupta VP of product platform development for major appliances and Paul Riley as VP of sales and marketing for major appliances.

Polygroup Limited, Chartpak and Tru Vue were among the trading partners and service providers recognized by The Michaels Companies as Partners of the Year.
 
The arts and crafts retailers held a gala event in Dallas on August 7 and singled out 11 companies who demonstrated a commitment to surpassing expectations and continually providing excellence in service, quality and innovation.