STORE SPACES

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.

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: 

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.

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.

Washington, D.C. -- More than 500 building projects have certified through the LEED Volume Program since the pilot launched in 2006, according to the U.S. Green Building Council. The LEED Volume Program streamlines the certification process for high-volume property owners and managers, from commercial real estate firms, national retailers and hospitality providers, to local, state and federal governments.

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.

Plano, Texas -- J.C. Penny Co. said Tuesday it has introduced a new logo, designed to symbolize the retailer’s transformation to a more updated and relevant destination.

The new logo emphasizes a new, lowercase “jcp” by positioning it slightly off-centered in a red box while still featuring the company's signature red color. It was designed by Luke Langhus, a third-year graphic design student at the University of Cincinnati.