STORE SPACES

New York City -- A special Leadership Workshop on negotiating techniques will kick off Chain Store Age’s 48th annual SPECS (store planning, equipment, construction and facilities seminars) Conference. The industry’s leading retail store development event, SPECS will be held March 4 - 7, 2012, at the Gaylord Palms Resort in Kissimmee, Fla.

West Chester, Ohio -- Ikea said Tuesday that it has officially plugged-in the solar energy system installed at its Cincinnati-area store in West Chester, Ohio. 

The 128,000-sq.-ft. PV array consists of a 1,026-kW system, built with 4,186 panels. Ikea West Chester’s program will produce approximately 1,334,300 kWh of clean electricity annually, the equivalent of reducing 1,014 tons of carbon dioxide, eliminating the emissions of 180 cars or powering 115 homes yearly.

Minneapolis -- Due to continued growth in the retail market, Tennant Co. announced it has added an additional strategic accounts manager.  Brian Clifton has been hired to work closely with key retailers to design and implement floor care programs that add value to their organizations.

Norwell, Mass. -- Bluestone Energy Services has helped The Stop & Shop Supermarket Company substantially reduce energy consumption in hundreds of store locations and warehouses, enabling the supermarket operator to meet aggressive sustainability goals, cut costs, and receive over $4 million in utility incentives.

Deerfield, Ill. — Walgreens has transformed 68 locations in the Indianpolis market into health and daily living destinations.

The drug store chain hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony Thursday at a store located on 16th and Meridian in Indianapolis. On hand at the ceremony were Walgreens president and CEO Greg Wasson, former Indianpolis Colts coach Tony Dungy and Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Ind.

The stores are part of Walgreens' pilot program that launched last year in Chicago.

New York City -- The Grupo Pao de Acucar, the largest retailer in South America, has selected the SAP Carbon Impact OnDemand solution to monitor and manage carbon emissions and energy consumption in each of its 1,832 stores. The solution, from SAP, will help the group, long recognized as a sustainability leader for retailers both in Latin America and globally, to more effectively control greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and increase the data quality of environmental reports submitted to financial and sustainability regulatory agencies.

Riverside, Calif. -- A McDonald's restaurant in Riverside, Calif., has been LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold certification. It is the chain’s first location west of the Mississippi, and only the fourth in the United States, to receive the prestigious designation. Other LEED-certified McDonald's restaurants are located in Cary, N.C., Savannah, Ga. and Chicago.

Conshohocken, Pa. -- Ikea said Thursday it plans to install solar energy panels on five more of its U.S. locations – all of them in the Midwest. Installation is slated for summer 2012 completion and will expand Ikea’s solar presence to nearly 85% of its U.S. locations. 

Philadelphia -- Bailey Brand Consulting, one of the largest branding and design firms in metro Philadelphia, recently completed the corporate re-branding for Liz Claiborne Inc., which will now be called Fifth and Pacific Companies. The new name and corporate logos will be effective on or about May 15.

San Bernardino, Calif. -- West Coast grocery chain Stater Bros. said Wednesday it has been awarded the 2011 Waste Reduction Award – its second consecutive – from the state of California, in recognition for its aggressive focus on recycling.

The California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery Waste Reduction Awards Program honored Stater Bros. for eliminating eliminated 125,780,911 lbs. of waste from landfills in 2011.