News

HOUSTON — Retail financial services provider Cardtronics announced that its Harris Teeter- located ATMs will be branded by PNC Bank. The ATMs will be surcharge-free fro PNC Bank customers. Harris Teeter operates a regional chain of supermarkets, with its base of operations in North Carolina. Cardtronics, Inc. (NASDAQ:CATM) is the world's largest retail ATM owner.  

William Kenneth Butler, COO of the 1,985 unit Aaron’s rent-to-own retail chain, received a lifetime achievement award from the Association of Progressive Rental Organizations (APRO).

Butler was selected as the 2012 recipient of the Ernie Tally Lifetime Achievement Award for an exemplary career spanning nearly four decades.

Manhattan Associates announced a CEO succession plan in conjunction with strong second quarter results that saw the provider of supply chain optimization services increase its full year profit forecast.

New Orleans -- New Orleans has rolled out the red carpet in order to assure the first Costco location in the state.

The city council on Thursday unanimously approved nearly $6 million in financial incentives for a planned Costco in the New Orleans suburb of Carrollton.  
 
The $45 million, 148,000-sq.-ft. Costco marks the warehouse club operator’s state debut, to reportedly be followed by a second in the capital city of Baton Rouge.

The New Orleans store is slated to open late summer 2013.
 

Despite a stagnant economy and drought conditions across large parts of the country, Brentwood, Tenn.-based Tractor Supply Co. reported sales and earnings growth.

The company posted second-quarter sales of $1.29 billion, up 9.6% from $1.18 billion in the same quarter last year.

The nation’s largest chain of farm and ranch specialty stores posted earnings of $106.6 million, up 8.3% from $91.2 million in the year-ago period.

An “exclusive” report from Reuters this week suggests U.S. authorities are poised to put the retail industry under the microscope as a result of Walmart’s bribery scandal in Mexico.

Walmart is used to encountering opposition to its new stores, just not in its own backyard.

However, that is what’s been happening in the sprawling master planned community of Bella Vista, Ark., where residents, some of them anyway, are up in arms over a planned Walmart Neighborhood Market. They say the location of the proposed stores is a poor choice and the 24-hour store with four gas pumps will bring additional traffic to an already busy road.

SAN FRANCISCO — Williams-Sonoma has promoted Julie Whalen, SVP, acting CFO, has been appointed EVP, CFO.