Daily Archives: September 29, 2016

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BRC: Government must show real leadership in getting every single food company to commit fully in tackling Childhood Obesity

LONDON, 2016-Sep-30 — /EPR Retail News/ — The Government’s Childhood Obesity Plan will have the desired impact only if it ensures the full and equal participation of all companies across every part of the food industry.

Retailers are concerned that the Plan as it stands, relies too heavily on voluntary agreements which have in the past resulted in significantly different levels of effort from the various parts of the industry. The Government must therefore play an active leadership role in delivering the Plan, commit sufficient resources and demonstrate that the proposed voluntary approach will create a level playing field across industry.

Andrew Opie, BRC Director of Food and Sustainability said: “As an industry, we are proud of the leading role that we have played in reformulating our products, promoting healthier alternatives and adopting easy to use on-pack nutritional labelling. In recent years, progressive retailers have found themselves at a competitive disadvantage against those companies which have been slower to reformulate, which is why we had previously called for sugar targets to be mandatory rather than voluntary. Government must now show real leadership in getting every single food company to commit fully and play its part”.

For media enquiries:
Zoe Maddison
Communications Assistant, BRC
Tel: +44 (0)20 7854 8924
Zoe.maddison@brc.org.uk

Source: BRC

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ALDI earns LEED Gold certification for its distribution center and regional headquarters in Moreno Valley, California

Batavia, Ill., 2016-Sep-29 — /EPR Retail News/ — ALDI, one of America’s favorite grocery stores *, has earned LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) for its environmentally sustainable distribution center and regional headquarters in Moreno Valley, California.

According to USGBC, LEED projects are responsible for diverting more than 80 million tons of waste from landfills. Compared to the average commercial building, LEED Gold buildings consume a quarter less energy and generate 34 percent lower greenhouse gas emissions.

“ALDI is taking steps wherever possible to reduce our environmental impact,” said ALDI Vice President Aaron Sumida. “Building our warehouse to meet LEED Gold requirements is a significant achievement, one that will enable us to conserve energy, reduce water consumption, which is critical in California, and ultimately reduce our carbon footprint.”

To meet LEED Gold standards, ALDI worked with Graycor Construction Company as the design-build partner along with architects and engineers to improve the design and materials used in the development of its distribution center and regional headquarters. The sustainable building features installed in the Moreno Valley facility include:

 Renewable energy from on-site solar panels that provide 60 percent of the electricity at the ALDI Moreno Valley regional headquarters and warehouse.
 Ammonia refrigeration system which is a naturally occurring element and highly energy efficient.
 Electric vehicle charging stations and bicycle racks that promote the use of greener methods of transportation.
 Water efficient landscaping and plumbing.

“Nearly 40 percent of the solution to the global climate change challenge can come from improved building operations. And while climate change is a global problem, innovative companies like ALDI are addressing it through local solutions,” said Rick Fedrizzi, CEO and founding chair of USGBC. “By implementing measures to ensure the facility is operating more efficiently, ALDI is helping us get one step closer to USGBC’s vision of a sustainably built environment within a generation and contributing to the uptake of green building practice worldwide.”

The accomplishment is representative of the collective efforts of ALDI and their design-build team comprised of Graycor Construction Company as the builder and multiple design partners which included HPA Architecture, Webber/Smith Associates, Inc., Gregg Electric, Inc., Air Control Systems, HSA Engineering, Inc., Huitt-Zollars, Ridge Landscape Architects and KDI.

“The ALDI Moreno Valley facility epitomizes what can be achieved when there is shared mutual respect, trust and cooperation between all project team members—owner, contractor, designers, subcontractors and regulatory agencies,” said Daren Sealover, Project Executive, Graycor Construction Company. “The facility is beautifully – and most importantly – sustainably built and I couldn’t be more proud to have partnered with ALDI on this project.”

Throughout the construction of its Moreno Valley warehouse, ALDI diverted more than 90 percent of its waste to be recycled, composted or repurposed.

“ALDI shoppers know that we save them time and money while offering their families premium quality groceries at affordable prices,” said Sumida. “With this LEED recognition, they also know that ALDI is doing our part to reduce our impact on the environment by embracing sustainable initiatives across our business.”

ALDI embraces sustainable initiatives not only in California, but across all its operations. ALDI stores have a smaller carbon footprint than traditional grocery stores, due to their smaller size. ALDI stores also feature environmentally friendly building materials and state-of-the-art lighting and refrigeration systems that reduce energy use.

“As ALDI expands operations to California, we will continue to uphold these values by ensuring our California stores feature sustainable building elements designed to reduce our carbon footprint through energy efficiency, waste reduction and green building design,” said Sumida.

For more information about the company’s Corporate Responsibility efforts, visit https://corporate.aldi.us/en/corporate-responsibility.

About ALDI Inc.
A leader in the grocery retailing industry, ALDI operates more than 1,500 US stores in 34 states. More than 32 million customers each month save up to 50 percent* on their grocery bills, benefiting from the ALDI simple and streamlined approach to retailing. ALDI sells the most frequently purchased grocery and household items, primarily under its exclusive brands, which must meet or exceed the national name brands on taste and quality. ALDI is so confident in the quality of its products, the company offers a Double Guarantee: If for any reason a customer is not 100 percent satisfied with any ALDI food product, ALDI will gladly replace the product and refund the purchase price. ALDI was honored with the 2015 Supermarket News Retail Achievement Award, recognizing the company for its ongoing business expansion and product evolution. For more information about ALDI, visit aldi.us

About LEED Gold Certification
LEED certification provides independent verification of a building or neighborhood’s green features, allowing for the design, construction, operations and maintenance of resource-efficient, highperforming, healthy, cost-effective buildings. LEED projects are responsible for diverting over 80 million tons of waste from landfills. Compared to the average commercial building, LEED Gold buildings consume a quarter less energy and generate 34 percent lower greenhouse gas emissions.

About Graycor Construction Company Inc.
Graycor Construction Company Inc. is a leader in managing new construction and interiors projects throughout North America. Graycor Construction Company Inc. serves clients in the corporate, cultural/educational, healthcare, living & lodging, logistics & distribution, manufacturing and retail markets. To learn more about Graycor Construction Company Inc., visit www.graycorconstruction.com.

* According to a survey of US consumers conducted in 2016 by Market Force Information. **Based upon a price comparison of comparable products sold at leading national retail grocery stores. The LEED certification trademark is owned by the U.S. Green Building Council and is used with permission.

ALDI Contact:
Kelsey Williamson
(312) 988-2087
kwilliamson@webershandwick.com

Graycor Contact:
Sue Traeder
(630) 684-7461
sue_traeder@graycor.com

Source: ALDI Inc.

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Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. to host 3Q 2016 financial results conference call on October 25, 2016

DENVER, 2016-Sep-29 — /EPR Retail News/ — Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. (NYSE: CMG) today (Sep. 28, 2016) announced that it will host a conference call to discuss third quarter 2016 financial results on Tuesday, October 25, 2016 at 4:30 PM Eastern time. A press release with third quarter 2016 financial results will be issued at approximately 4:10 PM Eastern time that same day.

The conference call can be accessed live over the phone by dialing 1-877-857-6149 or for international callers by dialing 1-719-325-4751. A replay will be available approximately two hours after the call and can be accessed by dialing 1-877-870-5176 or 1-858-384-5517 for international callers; the password to access the replay is 1052659. The replay will be available until November 1, 2016. The call will also be webcast live from the Company’s website on the investor relations page at ir.chipotle.com. An archived webcast will be available approximately one hour after the end of the call.

About Chipotle

Steve Ells, founder, chairman and co-CEO, started Chipotle with the idea that food served fast did not have to be a typical fast food experience. Today, Chipotle continues to offer a focused menu of burritos, tacos, burrito bowls (a burrito without the tortilla) and salads made from fresh, high-quality ingredients, prepared using classic cooking methods and served in a distinctive atmosphere. Through our vision of Food With Integrity, Chipotle is seeking better food from using ingredients that are not only fresh, but that—where possible—are sustainably grown and raised responsibly with respect for the animals, the land, and the farmers who produce the food. In order to achieve this vision, we focus on building a special people culture that is centered on creating teams of top performers empowered to achieve high standards. This people culture not only leads to a better dining experience for our customers, it also allows us to develop future leaders from within. Chipotle opened with a single restaurant in 1993 and operates more than 2,100 restaurants, including 27 Chipotle restaurants outside the US and 15 ShopHouse Southeast Asian Kitchen restaurants, and is an investor in an entity that owns and operates four Pizzeria Locale restaurants. For more information, visit Chipotle.com.

Contact:

Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc.
Mark Alexee
303-605-1042
malexee@chipotle.com

Source: Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc.

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Immochan announces appointment of three new members to its executive committee

Croix Cedex, France, 2016-Sep-29 — /EPR Retail News/ — Juliette Delcourt, Marketing, Digital and Innovation Director; Franck Pouzol, Development Promotion & Construction Director and Ali Khosrovi, General Manager of Immochan France are joining the Executive Committee of Immochan, the international real-estate company which manages nearly 400 shopping centres in 12 countries. With these appointments, Benoît Lheureux – General Manager, strengthens his management team and commits the company to a new dynamic approach. The updated executive team will be effective from 3rd October.

Juliette Delcourt, Marketing, Digital and Innovation Director.
Previously the Marketing Director at Marionnaud, Juliette Delcourt is joining Immochan to strengthen the marketing and digital strategy in coordination with the 12 countries.

47 years old, a graduate from ESCP and INSEAD, she began her career at Yves Saint Laurent, then joined Sony in Product Marketing. At Sony Pictures, she became Marketing and Communications Director, then spent 9 years at Bouygues Telecom, successively occupying the posts of Marketing Manager, Internet Strategy Manager, and iPhone Business Manager. At Française Des Jeux, she was the Customer and Digital Director for 3 years.

Juliette Delcourt takes over from Éric Deleplanque who is ensuring the handover until he retires in March 2017.

Franck Pouzol, Development, Promotion & Construction Director.
Frank Pouzol was appointed as the Development, Promotion & Construction Director of Immochan. He will continue to successfully implement the Immochan development strategy internationally and ensure support for each country. He is also in charge of CSR.

42 years old and holder of a postgraduate diploma (DEES) in Town Planning and Territory Development, he joined Immochan in 1997 as a Business Park Manager in the East region. After a career within the Rhône-Alpes Auvergne Midi Region (Shopping Centre Manager in 2000, Project Manager Manager in 2005, Regional Promotion Director in 2009 then Regional Director in 2014), Frank Pouzol had taken on the Development, Promotion & Construction Management of Immochan France last year in November 2015.

Ali Khosrovi, Immochan France General Manager.
On the Executive Management of Immochan France since 2014, Ali Khosrovi is taking over from Hervé Motte within the Executive Committee. Hervé Motte will dedicate himself exclusively to the chairmanship of Immochan Luxembourg and the support of EuropaCity, as the Chairman of our Alliages et Territoires company.

50 years old and a graduate of the Institut National Agronomique Paris-Grignon, Ali Khosrovi joined Auchan in 1994 after several years as a Mission Head in the food industry. In store he successively occupied the posts of Department Manager, Area Manager, Human Resources Manager and Assistant Director. He was appointed Store Director in Meru in 2006, then managed Issy Les Moulineaux and finally La Défense. He was appointed as Operational Director of Ile de France and a member of the Auchan France Executive Management in 2010. Two years later, he became the Development and New Concepts Director of Auchan France.

Composition of the Executive Committee from 3rd October:
Benoît Lheureux, Immochan General Manager
Marco Balducci, Finance and Asset Management Director
Juliette Delcourt, Marketing, Digital and Innovation Director
Philippe Gracia, Human Resources and Communications Director
Ali Khosrovi, Immochan France General Manager
Franck Pouzol, Development, Promotion and Construction Director, in charge of CSR
Valentin Serrano, International Deputy Chief Executive, manages China, Spain, Hungry, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Taiwan and Ukraine. He is in charge of the cross-divisional organisation of Business, Information Systems and Management Control.

ABOUT IMMOCHAN

Founded in 1976, Immochan is now one of Europe’s leading retail real estate and shopping centre companies. Immochan’s mission is to support retailers and develop the best footfall in its retail and living sites. The company has based its expertise as a global operator on four major business areas: property development, marketing, operations and asset management. Key figures on 31/08/2016: 379 shopping centres // 15,000 retail partners // 3.8 million m² managed excluding hypermarkets // 12 countries // over 900 employees www.immochan.com //Twitter: @Immochan_Corp

Press contacts:
Communications Department – International
+33 (0)3 61 76 32 15
communication@immochan.com

Source: Immochan

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RILA to merge its sustainability-focused conference with Sustainable Brands

Arlington , VA, 2016-Sep-29 — /EPR Retail News/ — In her opening remarks at the Retail Sustainability and Environmental Compliance Conference, Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) President Sandy Kennedy announced that RILA will merge its sustainability-focused conference with Sustainable Brands. Beginning in 2017, the two will produce a single conference together than includes a retail-specific program track, in addition to Sustainable Brands’ usual program, which covers sustainability-led brand innovation across multiple consumer-facing industries.

“Over the last nine years, RILA’s sustainability program has evolved into an outcomes-oriented offering that provides retailers with the resources they need to excel at incorporating sustainability across their businesses,” said RILA President Sandy Kennedy. “We are proud of where the program is today and we look forward to partnering with Sustainable Brands to take our event to the next level. In addition to the retail specific content that retailers value, the new conference format will expose retailers to the leading sustainability practices employed by other major industries.“This strategic partnership offers a giant leap forward for both communities – retailers and their brand customers – who are key partners of the value network required to shift consumer demand and behavior as well as serve that new consumer demand,” states KoAnn Vikoren Skryzniarz, founder of Sustainable Brands.  “Merging the two events will create a stronger gravitational pull for the two communities to share insights and collaborate more fully. We look forward to accelerating momentum together heading into SB’17 Detroit and beyond.”

In addition to this partnership, RILA will continue to provide separate networking events for retailers throughout the year to maintain our established community of sustainability professionals. This includes a member-only meeting at US-based Sustainable Brands event, as well as the usual member meetings throughout the year.

This valuable new partnership with Sustainable Brands will also allow RILA to direct its energy toward growing its offerings for environmental compliance, energy, and responsible sourcing executives in retail – critical communities it has built over the last ten years.

Most notably, RILA will provide gathering places for those executives throughout the coming years. For environmental compliance executives, RILA will continue to host two annual meetings and other gatherings, as well as building its efforts to reform the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) and the Center for Retail Compliance (CRC), a key pillar for news and tools. For energy executives, RILA will host regional educational workshops and two annual meetings alongside Edison Electric Institute (EEI)’s National Accounts Meetings, and engage DOE, Deloitte, IMT, MIT, and other partners to grow its energy programming. And for its newest community of responsible sourcing executives, RILA will host members-only meetings alongside the ELEVATE Leadership Series and Intertek Ethical Sourcing Forum conferences, and build partnerships with government agencies and other key stakeholders. And for all of these important groups, RILA will generate and share valued resources, keep members informed on relevant issues, and host virtual forums to connect, learn, share, and grow on an even more frequent basis.

“While RILA’s resources devoted to retail’s sustainability, environmental compliance, energy, and responsible sourcing needs are growing, this partnership will allow us to direct those resources in even more targeted and valuable ways,” said Adam Siegel, RILA’s senior vice president for research, innovation, and sustainability. “I’m excited about the partnership with Sustainable Brands, and I’m also excited about the opportunities for these existing communities to grow even stronger.”

Major new additional announcements specific to RILA’s environmental compliance, energy, and responsible sourcing offerings will be made in the coming days.

SB’17 Detroit will be held May 22-25th in Detroit, Michigan. For more information, read this Q&A between Siegel and Skryzniarz or visit here.

RILA is the trade association of the world’s largest and most innovative retail companies. RILA members include more than 200 retailers, product manufacturers, and service suppliers, which together account for more than $1.5 trillion in annual sales, millions of American jobs and more than 100,000 stores, manufacturing facilities and distribution centers domestically and abroad.

Contact:

Brian Dodge
Executive Vice President, Communications and Strategic Initiatives
Phone: 703-600-2017
Email: brian.dodge@rila.org

Source: RILA

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Conexxus releases Mobile Payments Standard, v2.0

ALEXANDRIA, Va., 2016-Sep-29 — /EPR Retail News/ — Conexxus, the convenience and fuel retailing industry’s standards non-profit group, announced the ratification and immediate release of its Mobile Payments Standard, v2.0.

The new standard allows tightly coordinated interaction between mobile payment and loyalty applications, helping to create a more consumer-centric mobile commerce environment. An additional feature is the ability to operate loyalty both in cloud or local environments, independent of how the mobile payment is transacted, which allows for multiple use cases that link myriad payment and loyalty schemes into a single, standardized data exchange platform.

“Through tightly integrating the data exchange functionality of our mobile and loyalty standards, Conexxus members have created the first standards-based consumer mobile payments data exchange ecosystem that truly adds value to the mobile payment process,” said Gray Taylor, executive director of Conexxus. “In a market where the big ‘Pays’ (e.g. ApplePay and Android Pay) are struggling with meaningful loyalty, our membership has risen to the opportunity and is already releasing solutions that incorporate this standard. This is another example of how Conexxus and its members ‘solve forward,’” he added.

“This release creates the building blocks from which providers will take mobile commerce—not just payments—to new innovations,” said Linda Toth, director of standards for Conexxus. “Our Mobile Payments Committee, comprised of convenience retailers and suppliers, is already specifying v2.1. We expect innovations in mobile commerce fundamental processes like payments, loyalty and digital promotions, will keep our committees busy as we work to establish our retail segment as a leader in the new era of customer engagement.”

Conexxus is a non-profit, member-driven technology organization dedicated to the development and implementation of standards, technologies innovation and advocacy for the convenience and fuel retailing industry. Conexxus membership collaborates on key present and future industry challenges and innovations. Our work efforts improve profitability by reducing the cost of IT ownership and improving the competitiveness of our members. For more information visit conexxus.org or email info@conexxus.org. Join our ongoing conversation on LinkedIn.

Founded in 1961 as the National Association of Convenience Stores, NACS (nacsonline.com) is the international association for convenience and fuel retailing. The U.S. convenience store industry, with more than 154,000 stores across the country, conducts 160 million transactions a day, sells 80% of the fuel purchased in the country and had total sales of $575 billion in 2015. NACS has 2,100 retail and 1,700 supplier member companies, which do business in nearly 50 countries.

Contact:

(703) 684-3600 (phone)
(703) 836-4564 (fax)

Source: NACS

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Whole Foods Market to donate proceeds from the sale of roses to aid earthquake victims in Ecuador

Austin, Texas, 2016-Sep-29 — /EPR Retail News/ — Shoppers can now directly aid those impacted by the 7.8-magnitude earthquake that hit Ecuador this April by purchasing single stem roses at Whole Foods Market.

The roses are $2 each,100 percent of which will go toward a guaranteed $100,000 donation to Hogar de Cristo, an emergency home construction program aiding families displaced by the earthquake.

Grown in Ecuador, the roses are also part of the company’s Whole Trade Guarantee® program, an ethical trade program that ensures better wages and working conditions for farm workers and helps fund community development projects in areas where the products are produced.

The roses are available at all Whole Foods Market stores in the U.S. and Canada while supplies last. For more information, visit: wholefoodsmarket.com/blog/roses-relief-give-flower-and-give-back.

Contact:

Darrah Gist
darrah.gist@wholefoods.com
678.638.5888

Lauren Bernath
lauren.bernath@wholefoods.com
678.638.5805

Source: Whole Foods Market

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Whole Foods Market announces the opening of its new store in Englewood Neighborhood, Chicago’s South Side

Chicago, 2016-Sep-29 — /EPR Retail News/ — Leading a food movement to bring better access to fresh and healthy foods, Englewood and surrounding South Side neighborhood residents celebrate the opening of Whole Foods Market Englewood, Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2016. The new 18,000 square foot store represents three years of community collaboration between the natural grocer and community stakeholders.

“The work the Englewood community is doing to bring wholesome and healthy foods to the South Side is inspiring. We’re proud to be part of the good that’s happening, and bringing more fresh food options to the neighborhood,” says Whole Foods Market Co-CEO Walter Robb. “We’ve built this store with Englewood residents and hope when they walk into the space they helped create, they feel that this –Whole Foods Market Englewood– is their store, a community gathering place where they can explore, learn and talk about food.”

With a large variety of organic produce; pantry staples; locally made products; and ready-to-eat options Whole Foods Market Englewood hopes to be the go-to grocer for fresh and healthy food choices for the community. Highlights include:

  • Over 400 different conventional and organic produce items including locally grown products from Garfield Produce, Gotham Greens and Urban Canopy.
  • Ninety bulk flours, grains, beans, dried fruits, nuts, seeds, rice and trail mixes along with 98 bulk spices so shoppers can buy as much or as little as they need.
  • Freshly-brewed and made-to-order Allegro coffee beverages, including lattes, teas, cappuccinos, and espresso; two types of cold brew coffee; and smoothie options made with fresh fruit and no concentrates.
  • Full service meat and seafood counters offers ring the fresh, highest quality options, including made-in-house Andouille, chorizo, and brat sausages.
  • Over 70 beer, 175 wine, and 250 specialty cheese choices.
  • Fresh salad and hot bar offerings, self service pizza and sandwiches featuring pulled buffalo chicken Panini, barbecue pulled pork and a bacon cheddar breakfast sandwich served all day.

To celebrate opening day, Whole Foods Market will host its version of a ribbon cutting called a “Bread-Breaking Ceremony” with Whole Foods Market Team Members and Englewood neighbors beginning at 8:30 a.m. Doors open and shopping officially begins at 9 a.m. Music, food, samples and more will be offered from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. for all who attend.

Background

Since the announcement of the store in 2013, Englewood residents and Whole Foods Market teams have engaged in two-way conversations to ensure the new location on Chicago’s South Side would reflect the community it serves and meet the needs of those living and working in the area. Before the first store sketch was developed, the company took a community-first approach, holding and attending many meetings with residents, community groups, nonprofits, schools and local businesses to better understand the needs of the community.

“We spent much of the early days just listening. We met with many people and groups, who were so kind in taking time out of their busy lives to speak with us, to really hear what they wanted to see in their Whole Foods Market store. It was incredible,” says Robb. “It was these early conversations that guided how we built the store, how we worked with the community and how we built trust that allowed us to have real, honest conversations about everything from design to hiring practices. It was raw, genuine and authentic, and made our relationships stronger because of it.”

From the early discussions, three key themes rose to the top for the company to focus on: food access; community engagement; and economic development and employment.

Food Access. Having good, affordable, healthy food choices and supporting educational opportunities for residents and their families was a large part of many conversations. The store itself would be a big part of addressing this need and led to regular community meetings to discuss the different products and services offered in the store. In these two-way conversations, the community led the discussion and shared what they wanted to see in their store. Whole Foods Market teams took the input and applied it, and then went back to the community for feedback. This approach helped Whole Foods Market co-create a community gathering space where Englewood residents would want to come explore, learn and talk about food.

Beyond the store, Whole Foods Market teams support local initiatives by donating healthy food for community events and activities. Whole Kids Foundation, a Whole Foods Market foundation, awarded garden grants to eight Englewood schools to build or enhance food gardens on their campuses and supported healthy eating education for teachers. The Whole Cities Foundation, another Whole Foods Market foundation, held a food education summit and currently teaches free nutrition classes for residents. Additionally, the Whole Cities Foundation has partnered with the Residents Association of Greater Englewood (R.A.G.E.) to provide grants to start or expand food programs in the Englewood community. Recipients were decided by community voting and will be announced during the Grand Opening celebration.

Community Engagement. Open communication and involvement between those living and working in Englewood and Whole Foods Market Team Members was another area of focus. To help navigate the partnership, Whole Foods Market hired Cecile De Mello as Community Engagement Specialist from the community. As a resident living in Englewood, De Mello worked daily to share news from Whole Foods Market, share news from the community, organize community events, and ensure the company and the residents were in step as relationships grew. In addition to hosting nine public meetings, the De Mello attended community, school, and nonprofit meetings, plus walked the streets speaking to residents waiting for buses and trains, visited churches, salons and small shops to have one-on-one conversations.

Economic Development and Employment. Working alongside and investing in the future leaders and entrepreneurs, Whole Foods Market Team Members share over 30 years of experience with the next class of food innovators in Englewood and the greater South Side. Challenging the perception of where businesses will find success, Team Members met with small businesses, provided feedback and resource information; ultimately helping support economic growth in the community. Working with community partners from Teamwork Englewood and the Greater Englewood Community Development Corporation, Whole Foods Market held a variety of workshops and events to support the development of small businesses in Englewood and the greater South Side including:

  • The Englewood Entrepreneurial Workshop Series provided business training on product development, safety, licensing and many other topics to small-business owners.
  • A Supplier Expo event connected startups with business resources such as insurance, labeling, distribution, and financing. Attendees also met with Whole Foods Market buyers to discuss products in more detail and learn more about the buying experience.
  • The recently launched Englewood Quality of Life Economic Development Competition gives small businesses development resources and business mentors to create and pitch a business plan and win funds up to $40,000. Over 30 applicants are participating in the competition and will present ideas later this year.

Whole Foods Market committed to hiring as many new Team Members from the community as possible. The community voiced very early on the need for jobs and the importance of hiring local residents for the store. The 100 positions provided by the store would help; but the need for more still existed. Connecting job seekers to job opportunities, resources to overcome employment barriers and building individual capacity to help applicants prepare not just a Whole Foods Market position, but also any future employment opportunity was crucial. With community partners, Whole Foods Market organized a series of events, workshops and resources to help residents build skills and gain access to professional development resources including:

  • A Whole Foods Introduction and Employment Resource Series to share with residents over the course of three months information about the store, the company, and offered workshops in resume writing, interviewing, and team building to residents.
  • A Customer Service Training and Employers Panel Discussion offered a two-day intense customer service boot camp that provided workshops, role-playing, and a completion certificate for residents. Whole Foods Market, Metropolitan Family Services, Greater Englewood CDC, Teamwork Englewood and Englewood Square Development partnered.
  • A Job and Resource Fair in the community where over 2 days, 900 residents interviewed for open positions at Whole Foods Market Englewood; had access to workshops and resources for criminal record expungement, resume writing, credit counseling, day care services, and housing services; and computer access for other employer applications for over a half dozen companies.
  • The development of an Englewood Jobseekers Network is an email group where residents that attended the job fair or applied online could opt-in to continue to get information about job opportunities and employment services.

Over 100 Team Members will work at Whole Foods Market Englewood, over 85 are from the South Side of Chicago, including 35 from Englewood.

Whole Foods Market has 26 other Chicagoland stores: Gold Coast, Halsted, Hyde Park, Lakeview, two Lincoln Park locations, Sauganash, South Loop, Streeterville, West Loop and Edgewater neighborhoods in Chicago; and the surrounding suburbs of: Deerfield, Elmhurst, three Evanston locations, Hinsdale, Kildeer, Naperville, Northbrook, Orland Park, Park Ridge, Schaumburg, River Forest, Wheaton and Willowbrook.

Contact:

Allison Phelps
Allison.Phelps@wholefoods.com
312.799.5600

Source: Whole Foods Market

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Wegmans Food Markets announces leadership appointments at its Charlottesville store, opening Nov. 6

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA, 2016-Sep-29 — /EPR Retail News/ — Wegmans Food Markets today (09/28/2016 ) announced the leadership team spearheading the management of its Charlottesville store, opening Nov. 6 at 5th Street Station on the intersection of Interstate 64 and 5th Street. The Charlottesville leadership team consists of the store manager, executive chef, pharmacy area manager, and three area managers who each supervise several departments. Together, this group has more than 130 years of experience working for the 100-year-old family-owned company.

Wegmans Charlottesville is a 120,000 square-foot supermarket that includes a Market Café with indoor and outdoor seating for nearly 250, as well as The Pub, an in-store full-service family restaurant known for fresh, seasonal food and local craft beer. Visit www.wegmans.com/charlottesville for store details, Wegmans Shoppers Club sign up, driving directions, and a countdown to the grand opening.

The Wegmans Charlottesville leadership team is as follows:

Store Manager Chris DePumpo
After graduating from Elmira College, Chris DePumpo worked for a drug store chain and a different grocery company in his hometown of Sayre, PA. His Wegmans career began in 1993 as a night manager in Johnson City, NY. DePumpo later moved back to Pennsylvania, working for Wegmans stores in Scranton and Wilkes Barre. He went on to become a merchandising area manager in the company’s first Maryland store, located in a suburb of Baltimore. From there, he trained in perishable departments to prepare for his next assignment as store manager in Fredericksburg, VA in 2009. DePumpo and his family moved to Charlottesville in 2015 to begin building and developing his team of 550 in preparation for the Charlottesville store opening.

Executive Chef Jason Voos
Jason Voos got his love of cooking from his grandmother who made traditional Polish meals from scratch. His first part-time job was in the seafood department at Wegmans in his hometown of Pittsford, NY. He later became a Wegmans management intern, learning through hands-on rotations in each department. After graduating from Johnson & Wales University, Voos continued working his way up as a cook, culinary team leader, sous chef, and then executive chef. He will oversee the culinary team that provides the restaurant-quality prepared foods Wegmans is known for, with mix and match self-serve food bars, subs, hot soup, fresh sushi, The Pub, and more – all for in-store dining or takeout. Chef Voos lives in Louisa.

Pharmacy Area Manager Kim Elliott, Pharm D.
Kim Elliott, Pharm D., joined Wegmans in 2005 as a part-time cashier in Corning, NY. There she honed her customer service skills and also worked at the Wegmans Organic Farm before becoming a pharmacy technician and intern while attending the Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. After graduation, Elliott relocated to Northern Virginia to support Wegmans pharmacies. As pharmacy area manager, she will now lead the Charlottesville pharmacy and its staff, helping employees and customers live healthier, better lives. Pharmacy services include immunizations, auto-refill of prescriptions, free home shipping, pet medications, and competitively low prices on select generic prescriptions.

Perishable Area Manager Carl Shubert
Carl Shubert began working at Wegmans in 1984 and has experience in a variety of positions, including customer service in produce, produce department manager, service team leader, front end manager, general merchandise, service area manager, and merchandising area manager. As perishable area manager in Charlottesville, he will oversee product quality, sales, and employee development for the produce, floral, bakery, seafood, meat, cheese, and deli departments. Shubert will ensure Wegmans’ high standards for the freshest ingredients are met and employees are prepared to share in-depth food knowledge with Wegmans customers. Shubert resides in Louisa.

Merchandising Area Manager Michael Ryan
Michael Ryan became a Wegmans employee in 1989. A Louisa resident, he previously served as a meat clerk, seafood team leader and department manager, research and development manager, service team leader, and service area manager. In his role at the Charlottesville store, he’ll supervise employee development, merchandising and sales for several departments, including grocery, dairy, frozen foods, Nature’s Marketplace and general merchandise. Ryan will work collaboratively across the store to ensure that products are well stocked and beautifully displayed to make grocery shopping outstanding for Wegmans customers.

Service Area Manager Mike McCarthy
Mike McCarthy resides in Charlottesville and has been a Wegmans employee since 1993. A graduate of the University of Rochester, he started with Wegmans as a front end coordinator before taking on roles as a night manager, front end manager, and service area manager. At Charlottesville, he will lead the front end, service desk, helping hands (parking lot attendants) and accounting office. McCarthy will ensure incredible customer service is delivered every day, which is a point of distinction at Wegmans. He will also oversee local community giving, carrying out Wegmans’ commitment to make a difference in every community it serves.

Wegmans Food Markets, Inc. is a 91-store supermarket chain with stores in New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Virginia, Maryland, and Massachusetts. The family-owned company, recognized as an industry leader and innovator, is celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2016. Wegmans has been named one of the ‘100 Best Companies to Work For’ by FORTUNE magazine for 19 consecutive years, ranking #4 in 2016.

Contact Information:

Valerie Fox
Wegmans media relations coordinator
585-720-5713

Source: Wegmans Food Markets

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CBRE Group wins the 2016 Global Outsourcing Social Responsibility Impact Award conferred by IAOP and ISG

Los Angeles, 2016-Sep-29 — /EPR Retail News/ — CBRE Group, Inc. (NYSE:CBG) today (September 28, 2016) announced that it has won the 2016 Global Outsourcing Social Responsibility Impact Award (GOSRIA) conferred by the International Association of Outsourcing Professionals (IAOP) and Information Services Group (ISG). The award recognizes service provider excellence in Corporate Social Responsibility and exemplary leadership in programs that foster community, workplace training, communication, environment, and giving.

IAOP and ISG began the GOSRIA program five years ago. This is the second time CBRE has won the award—the first was in 2012, the program’s inaugural year. CBRE is the only service provider to have won the award twice.

“A key to CBRE’s leadership position is our unwavering commitment to responsible business practices,” said Bill Concannon, CEO of Global Workplace Solutions for CBRE.  “We thank ISG and IAOP for this award and for recognizing the positive impact of our professionals in our communities and on the environment.”

Earlier this year, IAOP announced that CBRE achieved the highest possible evaluation in the association’s annual assessment of global outsourcing companies, earning five-star status. IAOP has recognized CBRE one of the world’s best outsourcing firms across all industries for ten consecutive years.

CBRE received several other high-profile accolades this year. It was included in the FTSE4Good Index Series, which recognizes companies demonstrating strong environmental, social and governance practices, for three years in a row; ranked 15th on the Forbes “America’s Best Employers” list; included in Fortune Magazine’s Most Admired Companies for the fourth straight year; named a World’s Most Ethical Company by The Ethisphere Institute for the third consecutive year; and received an EPA 2016 ENERGY STAR® Partner of The Year Sustained Excellence Award for the ninth year in a row.

More information on corporate responsibility at CBRE can be found at www.cbre.com/responsibility.

About CBRE Group, Inc.
CBRE Group, Inc. (NYSE:CBG), a Fortune 500 and S&P 500 company headquartered in Los Angeles, is the world’s largest commercial real estate services and investment firm (based on 2015 revenue).  The Company has more than 70,000 employees (excluding affiliates), and serves real estate investors and occupiers through more than 400 offices (excluding affiliates) worldwide.  CBRE offers a broad range of integrated services, including facilities, transaction and project management; property management; investment management; appraisal and valuation; property leasing; strategic consulting; property sales; mortgage services and development services. Please visit our website at www.cbre.com.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Robert McGrath
Senior Director, Global Media Relations
+1 212 9848267

Source:  CBRE Group, Inc.

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Commissaries celebrates National Kale Day, Oct. 5 with in-store events that highlights the nutritious green

FORT LEE, Va., 2016-Sep-29 — /EPR Retail News/ — Commissaries worldwide will be participating in National Kale Day, Oct. 5, as part of a week long promotion to highlight the vegetable as one of the most nutritious and versatile leafy greens.

The fall promotion, in commissaries Oct. 3-9, is a celebration of kale, “this decade’s green food extraordinaire,” said event cofounder Dr. Drew Ramsey.

“We’ve seen what we call the kale army of loyal followers grow over the years, but to now actually have the support of military members and their family members getting involved in National Kale Day is so exciting and more than I could have ever hoped for,” said Ramsey, noted psychiatrist, author and farmer. He is a leading advocate of dietary change to help balance moods, boost brain function and improve mental health.

Commissaries worldwide will host in-store events that will include demos and special promotions plus a variety of recipes including kale smoothies, stir-fry and salads. Posters will feature information about the National Kale Day website that has more recipes, special prizes and giveaways.

“The produce departments at all of our commissaries are focused on creating fresh displays, promoting the right items at the right price and providing store support for weekly produce items and seasonal products,” said Bridget Bennett, DeCA category manager for produce. “The promotion of National Kale Day is an exciting opportunity for not only our October merchandising calendar but to help promote health and wellness for all of our shoppers.”

National Kale Day is about community involvement and social sharing as farmers, retailers, brands and consumers connect, Ramsey said. “The focus of National Kale Day as a day-long celebration is about celebrating kale, but it’s also about conversations about healthy eating as part of a healthy lifestyle.

“Lifestyle changes and wellness are some of the toughest yet often most-needed changes in people’s lives. Kale provides a lot of the essential nutrients and benefits that many people are lacking to be their healthiest self.”

For more information on National Kale Day, go to www.nationalkaleday.org.

About DeCA: The Defense Commissary Agency operates a worldwide chain of commissaries providing groceries to military personnel, retirees and their families in a safe and secure shopping environment. Commissaries provide a military benefit and make no profit on the sale of merchandise. Authorized patrons purchase items at cost plus a 5-percent surcharge, which covers the costs of building new commissaries and modernizing existing ones. By shopping regularly in the commissary, patrons save thousands of dollars annually. A core military family support element, and a valued part of military pay and benefits, commissaries contribute to family readiness, enhance the quality of life for America’s military and their families, and help recruit and retain the best and brightest men and women to serve their country.

Media Contact:
Kevin L. Robinson
(804) 734-8000, Ext. 4-8773
kevin.robinson@deca.mil

Source: Commissary