Content about COMMERCE

CITY OF COMMERCE, Calif. — 99 Cents Only announced its official search for retail property on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, Calif.

The iconic street may be best known as a shopping district that houses designer label and haute couture fashion, but the extreme value retailer said it will be a strategic fit as it already has 222 stores in California.

CITY OF COMMERCE, Calif. — 99 Cents Only Stores is celebrating its 30th anniversary.

Since its founding in 1982, the chain has expanded to 302 extreme value stores in four states consisting of 220 stores in California, 37 in Texas, 29 in Arizona, and 15 in Nevada. As part of the celebration, the company is converting 40 semi-trucks from diesel to clean-burning compressed natural gas. Additionally, the company is offering a free reusable shopping bag to customers who visit the store this weekend and purchase at least $9.99 worth of merchandise.

CITY OF COMMERCE, Calif. — Even with an extra week in this year's reporting period, 99 Cents Only Stores reported a total sales increase for it fiscal fourth quarter. The company reported total sales of $378.5 million for the 14-week fourth quarter of fiscal 2011 ended April 2, 2011, compared with $339.3 million for the 13-week fourth quarter in the prior fiscal year.

The company reported a same-store sales increase of 0.5% for the quarter. Excluding Texas operations, comps were up 0.7%.

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. — Sears Holdings' SVP procurement and finance has been promoted.

Deidra Cheeks Merriwether now holds the title of SVP and president of retail services, succeeding James Haworth. In this role, Merriwether, who joined the corporation in 2001, will be responsible for the oversight and leadership of retail services for the broadline retailer's Kmart and Sears stores.

Merriwether currently serves as a member of Sears Canada's board of directors and is the executive sponsor of the company's African-American Associate Network.

PURCHASE, N.Y. — MasterCard Advisors’ SpendingPulse, a macroeconomic report tracking national retail and services sales, announced results for e-commerce sales for the 2010 holiday shopping season. During the period ranging from Oct. 31 to Dec. 24, consumers spent $36.4 billion online, a 15.4% increase compared with the same period in 2009, according to SpendingPulse estimates.

CINCINNATI — Kroger recalled select packages of pet food sold in some of its retail stores because the products may contain aflatoxin, a naturally occurring toxic chemical byproduct from the growth of a certain fungus.

The recall affects Kroger stores in 17 states, as well as Dillons and Gerbes stores in Kansas and Missouri; Baker's stores in Nebraska; Food 4 Less stores in Nebraska, Illinois and Indiana (Chicago area); and Jay C, Hilander, Owen's, Pay Less and Scott's stores in Illinois and Indiana.

CLEVELAND — ECRM on Thursday announced the launch of a series of reports and a new blog on retail circular ads. The new resources provide a unique perspective on retail promotions from Walmart, Kroger, Walgreens, Safeway, Best Buy, OfficeMax, Aldi and 160 additional retailers in the United States and Canada.

Using ECRM’s trade promotion expertise, these reports and blog entries will enable retailers and suppliers to manage more effective trade spending, ECRM stated.

NEW YORK — With Black Friday just around the corner, Walmart has placed these battery kiosks throughout the store — opposite electronics, for example — to help charge holiday sales.

CHESAPEAKE, Va. Dollar Tree on Wednesday announced that it has completed its purchase of the assets of 86 Dollar Giant stores for approximately $52 million in cash, plus the assumption of certain liabilities.

This marks Dollar Tree's first expansion of retail operations outside of the United States.

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. — Former Kmart CEO Charles Conaway has agreed to drop his appeal of a $10 million fine levied last year by the Securities and Exchange Commission for his role in misleading investors. Conaway, who ran Kmart a decade ago after serving as president of CVS, will pay $5.5 million to settle the charges, according to reports from the Associated Press and other news sources.