Content about Social issues

Chicago -- General economic conditions and federal, state and/or local regulations rank as the top two risks facing the retail industry, according to a new report by BDO USA. The report, an analysis of the risk factors listed in the most recent 10-K filings of the largest 100 public U.S. retailers, found that federal, state and local regulations have increased as a risk among the nation’s largest retailers.

CAMP HILL, Pa. — Bruce G. Bodaken, former chairman, president and CEO of Blue Shield California, been named to the Rite Aid Corporation board of directors. Bodaken, 61, served with Blue Shield for 18 years, including 12 in his most recent role, and currently serves as director and audit committee chairman of WageWorks, Inc. He is also a member of the Institute of Medicine’s Roundtable on Value & Science-Driven Health Care.

By Rafi Musher, rmusher@stax.com

By Garrick Brown, research director, Terranomics

It is with great pleasure that I introduce myself to you as the new senior editor of Chain Store Age, focused on covering all the news, trends and happenings in the constantly changing world of retail IT. Technology is evolving at a breakneck pace with major implications for retail. Emerging technology areas such as mobile, social and cloud are changing the very nature of customer experience, while the explosion of Big Data offers both a major challenge and opportunity for retailers that can successfully harness the immense of volume of information that is now available.

Seattle -- Starbucks Coffee Company reaffirmed its commitment to accelerate growth in Southeast Asia, announcing plans to open 100 stores in Indonesia over the next three years and another 100 stores in the Philippines over the next four years.

Starbucks entered Southeast Asia in 1996 with its first store in Singapore. The company currently operates more than 700 stores across six countries, including Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and, most recently, Vietnam.

Deerfield, Ill. -- Walgreen Co. said Thursday that its in-store Take Care Clinics have expanded the scope of healthcare services offered beyond treating minor ailments like sinus infections to include assessment, treatment and management for chronic conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol, asthma and others, as well as additional preventive health services.

The new services are now available at the more than 330 Take Care Clinics located at select Walgreens (excludes clinics in Missouri).

New York -- The International Council of Shopping Centers on Friday applauded the adoption of an amendment to the fiscal year 2014 Senate Budget Resolution. The amendment gives states the authority – if they so choose – to require online sellers to collect sales taxes just like brick-and-mortar retailers already do.

Oak Brook, Ill. -- Ace Hardware said Tuesday it has unveiled a new marketing campaign, Meet the Aces, designed to promote the hardware co-op/retailer’s personal service.
 
The new campaign also reintroduces, for the first time in more than 15 years, the words of Ace’s iconic jingle, “Ace is the place with the helpful hardware man,” but changed slightly (from “man” to “folks”) to reflect all Ace associates.

Dallas -- Chain Store Age's 49th annual SPECS store development conference officially kicked off on Monday morning at the Hilton Anatole in Dallas with two kinds of inspiration: Greg Buzek, president of IHL Group, introduced the Retail Orphan Initiative, and U.S. Navy Seal Scott Taylor presented Afterburner Black Ops, challenging the audience of retailers in design, construction, facilities, store planning and development to use Seal techniques to run their organizations.

Retailers are putting an increased emphasis and value on how and when they use their workforce. And in doing so, they are on the right path, according to research from The Wharton School. The study found the associate payroll was the most important factor in determining revenue. A mere additional dollar (properly applied) on labor could reap rewards of $4 to $28 in return.

The use of criminal background checks by employers is being closely watched.

Concerns that convictions among African Americans and Hispanics were causing hiring discrimination, the Equal Employment Opportunity Council has issued new guidelines regarding employer use of criminal records under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. According to the Pew Center on the States 2010 study, while one in every 87 white men in America have been incarcerated, among Hispanics it is 1-in-36 and blacks it is 1-in-12.