STORE SPACES

New York -- In a partnership with the U.K.-based retailer PC World, Google has opened its first-ever physical retail space, a pop-up shop in London.  It will be open for three months. 

The small,  285-sq.-ft. shop, called Chrome Zone, is devoted to Samsung’s ultra-portable Chrome OS-powered Chromebook computer and related accessories.  The space  has a high-tech look and is decked out in Google’s signature colors. 

CHICAGO -- SMS Assist announced that Matthew Pitts has been named COO of the technology- driven facilities maintenance company.

Pitts previously served as VP of building services for The Home Depot. During his two decade career at the home improvement chain, Pitts created retailer’s highly regarded in-house facilities management organization, overseeing more than 2,000 stores and more than $1 billion in annual facilities maintenance spend.

Menomonee Falls, Wis. -- Retail interior environments manufacturer TJ  Hale has purchased Milwaukee-based millwork manufacturer A.J. Pietsch. 

A.J. Pietsch manufacturing will move to Menomonee Falls, and the two companies will leverage their state-of-the-art systems, CNC equipment and facilities. 

Quincy. Mass. -- Stop & Shop Supermarket Co. on Saturday will open its third location in Cranston, R.I. The new store will pursue LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification in the coming months.

The new Stop & Shop was built with a range of energy-efficient features, including a fabric duct ventilation system (from DuctSox). The application, designed to provide more uniform airflow is first of its kind use for Stop & Shop.

Other energy-saving features include:

New York City -- Commercial and high-rise residential buildings, along with federal buildings, must now meet requirements in the ASHRAE/IES 2007 energy standard after rulings issued by the Department of Energy.

Prior to the new rules, federal and commercial buildings had to meet requirements in the 2004 standard.

Columbus, Ohio -- Information sharing,  expense benchmarking, innovative technologies, energy management systems, disaster preparedness and international facility management were ranked as the most important agenda topics by attendees at FacilitySource’s 5th annual Leadership Symposium, on Sept. 19-22.

Bellevue, Wash. -- T-Mobile USA announced Thursday the rollout of a new global design for nearly 400 new and remodeled stores across the country. The move follows successful test pilots in Tukwila, Wash., and in New York City at Seventh Ave. and 48th St.,

T-Mobile said it adopted the new design format from its parent company, Deutsche Telekom AG, which has received positive customer feedback for this new design in retail stores across Europe.

New York City -- Innovation in heating, ventilation and air-conditioning will be driven by cost savings from more efficient energy use and pressure to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, according to a recent from Pike Research.