STORE SPACES

Menomonee Falls, Wis. -- Kohl’s Department Stores on Wednesday is celebrating  the grand opening of nine new stores across seven states: Illinois, New York, South Dakota, Texas, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin.  The chain plans to open a total of approximately 40 stores in 2011.

In addition,  Kohl’s continues to invest in its existing store base, remodeling approximately 100 stores in 2011, an 18% increase from 2010.

Minneapolis -- Target Clinic plans to open eight new locations in 2011. The in-store centers offer treatment for minor illnesses and injuries, skin treatments, vaccinations, tests and screenings, which are administered by health care professionals.

The new clinics will open in Target stores in the Twin Cities, Chicago and Ft. Lauderdale-Davie areas by the end of July.

Seattle -- Electric transportation technology provider ECOtality said Monday that it has partnered with grocer Fred Meyer, a division of The Kroger Co., to install car-charging stations at select stores in Oregon and Washington.

The Blink Level 2 Electric Vehicle Commercial Pedestal Charging Stations will also be installed on major transportation corridors between Seattle store locations and the United States border with Canada.

The deal makes Fred Meyer ECOtality’s first food retail partner in the Northwest.

Pompano Beach, Fla. -- Winn Dixie Stores has contracted Green Secure Solutions to clean, sanitize and protect shopping carts, hand baskets, handicap carts, food trays and other equipment at the grocer’s 484 stores.

New York City -- The District of Columbia came out on top on The U.S. Green Building Council’s 2010 list of Top 10 states for LEED-certified commercial and institutional green buildings per capita, based on the U.S. 2010 Census information. The district had 25 sq. ft. of LEED-certified space per person in 2010, followed by Nevada, with 10.92 sq. ft. per person in 2010.

The top LEED states per capita, including the District of Columbia: 

Seattle -- The newest location of PCC Natural Markets (PCC), the nation’s largest natural foods retail cooperative, has been LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) Platinum from the United States Green Building Council. The store, in Edmonds, Wash., is also Salmon-Safe certified, making it the only grocery store in the nation to have earned both honors.

Hingham, Mass. -- The Talbots unveiled its new store design at the Westfield Garden State Plaza in Paramus, N.J.

The 5,500-sq.-ft. store has an upscale, residential feel, with a layout of five individual rooms for different merchandise stories.

Talbots chief creative officer Michael Smaldone collaborated with Robin Kramer of Kramer Design Group on the space.

New York City -- Register now for the Chain Store Age Webinar, “Decoding the CFO's ‘Black Hole’: Protecting the Brand and Bottom Line.”

Presented by FM, the Webinar will be held this afternoon at 2 p.m. ET. Topics include current trends in retail facility maintenance, obstacles to protecting brand image and how to overcome them, and case studies of successful retailer facility management programs.

Click here to register.