Warehouse

New York City -- J. Crew said Tuesday that it plans a $20 million expansion of its Lynchburg, Va., distribution center to facilitate the retailer’s goal of selling more clothes overseas.

According to a report in the Lynchburg newspaper News & Advance, J. Crew is slated to open its first store outside the tates and start shipping orders to Europe by the end of 2011. Those orders will be filled at J. Crew’s facility in Lynchburg.

Kohl’s will open its third distribution center devoted to e-commerce by July as it looks to build on the 50% growth rate experienced last year and surpass annual online sales of $1 billion in 2011.

Menomonee Falls, Wis. -- Kohl's Corp. said Tuesday that plans to open a distribution center in July in Maryland that will create about 1,200 jobs over the next three years.

According to the retailer, the Edgewood, Md., DC will fulfill online orders. Kohl’s anticipates hiring more than 200 full- and part-time employees when the center opens in July.

With the newest DC, Kohl's will have a total of 12 distribution centers across the United States.

Bentonville, Ark. -- A comprehensive waste reduction program has resulted in Walmart eliminating more than 80% of the waste that would go to landfills from its operations in California. Walmart’s results exceed both the national average landfill diversion rate of 45% and the California rate of 65%. The program is now being implemented across all of the company’s 4,400 U.S. locations, including Sam’s Club units and distribution centers.

Warrendale, Pa. -- Apparel retailer Rue21 plans to double the size of its current 189,600-sq.-ft. distribution center in Weirton, W. Va. Development plans call for the construction of 180,000 sq. ft. of additional storage space, additional receiving docks, and improved truck circulation areas.

Washington, D.C. -- A report released Monday by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates said that import cargo volume at the nation’s major retail container ports is expected to be up 11% in March, as compared with the same month last year.

San Diego -- Target Corp. was ordered by a California judge to pay $22.5 million to settle a lawsuit alleging that the chain illegally disposed hazardous waste at hundreds of stores throughout the state, prosecutors said Thursday, according to the Associated Press.

The settlement puts Target under tight scrutiny to ensure that it properly disposes waste at its nearly 300 stores in California, the report said.

Lexington, N.C. -- Grocery retailer Save-A-Lot announced Thursday it will break ground on a new 325,000-sq.-ft. food distribution center in Lexington, N.C.

The center is expected to open by December 2011. It is the result of collaboration with the state of North Carolina and its One North Carolina Fund, the North Carolina Department of Commerce, Davidson County and the City of Lexington.