Content about Nebraska

I visited my first Von Maur store in 1999, a decade after I relocated from southern boomtown Atlanta to Lincoln, Neb., a sleepy college town that only really wakes up on Husker football Saturdays. Today I am back home in Baton Rouge, La., still no bustling metropolis, but the food and football trump.

Von Maur got its start like many of its department store peers: An immigrant with an American dream opened a downtown store, customers came, they shopped, the brand took hold and took off.

In the case of the midwestern upscale department store banner Von Maur, the dreamer was German immigrant J.H.C. Petersen, who opened a downtown storefront in Davenport, Iowa, in 1872. He and his sons grew the business and sold it nearly a half-century later to a partnership that included two Austrian brothers -- C.J. and Cable von Maur, whose family gained full ownership by 1937.

Jeff Gordman is following in the family tradition. As president, chairman and CEO of Gordmans, he leads a company whose roots go back nearly 100 years, to when his grandfather opened a store in downtown Omaha in 1915.

From that one store, the company evolved over the years, eventually expanding beyond Nebraska. It also added a discount division, Half Price Stores. By 1990 the company had 32 stores, equally divided between the two divisions.

Los Angeles -- CBRE said it has been retained by Starwood Capital to work collaboratively with Starwood’s leasing team to lease six malls located in California, Florida, Illinois, Nebraska and Ohio.

The new CBRE assignment followed Starwood Capital's recent acquisition of a 90% stake in seven U.S. malls.

The properties include: Solano Mall in Fairfield, Calif.; Westland Mall in Miami; Chicago Ridge Mall in Chicago; Louis Joliet Mall in Chicago; Gateway Mall in Lincoln, Neb.; and Southpark Mall in Cleveland.

SIDNEY, Neb. -- Cabela's Inc. said that it plans to build a 50,000-sq.-ft. store in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. It will be the anchor tenant in the new Grasslands Shopping Centre being developed in Regina.

The new store, which will be the retailer's fourth location in Canada, is expected to in fall 2013 or spring 2014. The company will open a store in Rogers, Ark., on Aug. 30, and Union Gap, Wash., on Oct. 4.

Atlanta -- Supply chain solution provider Logility said Tuesday that Omaha, Neb., home furnishings retailer Nebraska Furniture Mart has selected Logility Voyager Solutions to help the company plan for and manage its growth into new markets.

To meet its goal of 75% growth by 2015, Nebraska Furniture Mart has embarked on an aggressive supply chain transformation project alongside a business improvement effort to streamline operations and accelerate the flow of information and products.

Dallas – Loyalty and marketing solution-provider Alliance Data Systems Corp. said Tuesday that it has signed a multi-year renewal agreement to continue providing the private label credit card program for Omaha-Neb.-based Gordmans Stores, which operates 78 stores in 46 markets across 18 states.

Additionally, Gordmans and Alliance Data have begun a full rollout of Alliance Data's in-store, tablet-based mobile technology to drive account acquisition efforts following a successful pilot earlier in 2012.
 

New York -- Nash Finch has agreed to acquire the 18-store No Frills Supermarkets, which is based in Omaha, Neb.

The terms of the transaction, which is expected to be completed by the end of third quarter, were not immediately available.

In April, Nash Finch completed the acquisition of the 12-store Bag ’N Save supermarket chain.
 

Canton, Mass. -- Dunkin' Donuts announced Monday the signing of a multi-unit store development agreement with QSR Services for nine new restaurants in Omaha and Lincoln, Neb.

The first restaurant is planned to open in 2013, and the remainder by 2017.

"We are excited to expand Dunkin' Donuts' presence in Omaha and Lincoln and play an important role in the daily lives of people who live, work and visit here," said Bryce Bares, president, QSR Services.
 

Omaha, Neb. -- Nash Finch Co. announced Monday that it will acquire Omaha, Neb., supermarket chain Bag ‘N Save, which will grow its retail grocery store portfolio by about 25%.

Primarily a food wholesaler, Nash Finch will absorb 11 stores in Omaha and one on York, Neb., through the acquisition. Terms have not been disclosed.

Dallas -- Alliance Data Systems announced it has signed a multi-year renewal agreement to continue providing private label credit card services to The Buckle, Kearney, Neb., which operates more than 430 stores in 43 states, as well as a robust e-commerce business.

Buckle cardholders will continue to earn "B-Reward" points with every purchase. Exclusive to cardholders, the B-Rewards points-based loyalty program allows cardholders to accumulate points that can be redeemed for dollars-off certificates for in-store or online purchases.

Omaha, Neb. -- There is a heartwarming story playing out  at Kmart stores  throughout the Midwest: Anonymous donors are paying off strangers'  layaway accounts, buying the Christmas gifts, especially toys and children’s clothing, that the families might otherwise have a hard time paying, the Associated Press reported.