STORE SPACES

Plano, Texas -- J.C. Penney Co. said Monday it is expanding its in-store digital presence by rolling out the Findmore smart fixture to more than 120 stores across the United States.

The kiosk fixtures feature 42-inch touch screens that link store customers to J.C. Penney’s website. They also provide inventory information and scan bar codes on in-store items to give shoppers additional product information and features,

Washington, D.C. -- Kohl’s Corp. ranked second on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Green Power Partnership’s latest ranking of the Top 50 partners using the most renewable electricity.

Kohl’s joined the top-ranking Intel as the only two partners using more than 1 billion kWh of green power. The retailer increased its green power purchase to more than 1.4 billion kWh of green power annually.

New York City -- Walmart has reached a deal in principle with the Building and Construction Trades Council of Greater New York, Crain’s New York Business reported. The agreement guarantees union workers will construct or renovate any stores that the chain opens in the city during the next five years, Crain’s New York reported.

The agreement is a win for Walmart, which has faced tough opposition from unions in New York City.

New York City -- Tesco PLC will install touch-screen energy display boards in 500 locations across the United Kingdom. The screens, which will be located in staff areas, will display which areas of the store are consuming the most energy. The hope is that the associates will respond and adjust energy usage as needed throughout the day.

New York City -- Barneys Co-Op, in Brooklyn, N.Y., won top honors in Chain Store Age’s 29th annual Store of the Year Retail Design Competition, which attracted entries from around the globe. Taking inspiration from the avant-garde art galleries that abound in the area, the 9,400-sq.-ft. store is in-tune with the emerging character of the neighborhood while being respectful of Brooklyn’s history. The space has a hip, upscale industrial look that feels right at home in the locale.

New York City -- Hannaford Supermarket’s store in Duanesburg, N.Y., was awarded LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold certification by the United States Green Building Council.

Among the supermarket’s environmentally friendly features are seafood display cases that do not use ice, an energy-saving advanced refrigeration system, water-conserving restroom fixtures, high-efficiency lighting and solar-reflective roofing materials. 

The only other LEED-certified Hannaford store is in Augusta, Maine.

New York City -- Ikea plans to use solar energy in its store under construction in the Denver suburb of Centennial. Pending governmental permits, installation of solar panels on the store’s roof will begin in February, with completion by grand opening this fall.

Cincinnati -- A survey released Thursday by Cintas Corp. found that 99% of U.S. adults say poor cleanliness negatively impacts their perception of a retail store.

In the telephone survey conducted by Harris Interactive among more than 1,000 U.S. adults ages 18 and older, respondents said that dirty restrooms and unpleasant odors are more annoying than poor customer service.