Green Depot To Open Green Living Manhattan Flagship Store
Green Depot, a supplier of environmentally friendly, green building materials, green products as well as green living services and solutions, will open a new flagship consumer store in November 2008.
The showroom will serve Manhattan’s vast consumer population interested in green living and in easier access to green products and building materials, housewares and sustainable living concepts. The space will also accommodate Green Depot’s significant commercial customer base and will include a resource and design center where Green Depot staff will work with customers to find green building materials that are cost-efficient and easily adaptable into their construction or renovation projects.
“Green Depot Manhattan marks a fundamental recognition of the growing effort amongst customers to make healthier and more eco-friendly living choices,” said Green Depot CEO Sarah Beatty.
ECOnvenience Center Opens First Outlet
Good to Go, the nation’s first ecologically friendly convenience store, car wash and alternate fuel station is set to open in Grand Chute, WI. Angie Nikolas, V.P., Good to Go, said, “We’re very proud to bring 24-hour convenience that minimizes the impact we make on our environment.”
Built to specifications of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program, Good To Go expects to become LEED-certified as the first fueling station, car wash and convenience retail shop in the U.S. The company plans to bring Good to Go to at least 150 more neighborhoods in Wisconsin, Iowa and Illinois by 2010.
The car wash will use a water cleaning and reclamation system that will save more than two million gallons of fresh water each year. The car wash uses bio-friendly detergents, efficient LED lighting and natural sunlight to cut down on electricity use. The Good to Go ECOnvenience Center features a green roof with plants and sod that minimize absorption of sunlight. Good To Go also features an automated merchandising system. Utilizing a keypad and robotics, it gives customers secure, 24-hour access to a broad selection of products.
SolarCraft Places Solar Kiosks In Home Improvement Stores
SolarCraft, a leading solar energy contractor in California, is partnering with Friedman's Home Improvement stores to offer residential and small commercial solar energy systems through an in-store kiosk program.
The solar kiosks feature an Educational Touch Screen Display, informational material and marketing literature. Each location will have an on-site, SolarCraft Solar Energy Consultant at least one weekend each month to do product demonstrations, answer questions and offer free energy bill usage analysis. The partnership will enable Friedman's customers to purchase a complete turnkey solar energy system, with design and installation by SolarCraft.
Wal-Mart Stores Switch To Sell Only Concentrated Liquid Laundry Detergent
Wal-Mart Stores has achieved its goal to offer only concentrated liquid laundry detergent in all of its U.S. and Canadian stores. The transition to selling only concentrated detergent has acted as a catalyst to transform the entire liquid laundry detergent category across the retail industry and save vast amounts of natural resources.
“This commitment moves us closer to our goal to drive waste out of our supply chain while continuing to offer our customers affordable, environmentally friendly products,” said Matt Kistler, Wal-Mart's senior vice president of sustainability. “The innovative thinking and strategic collaboration with our suppliers was key to making this project and commitment a success for our customers, our suppliers and our business.”
Wal-Mart worked with each of its leading detergent manufacturers to bring concentrated versions of brand favorites to market, including Unilever, Proctor & Gamble, Dial, Huish, and Church & Dwight.
Nike and Finish Line Create New Running and Training Retail Experience
NIKE and The Finish Line have opened a new retail experience called Finish Line Ltd., customized to meet the needs of young running and training athletes. The new concept store is located at the Chandler Fashion Center near Phoenix, AZ.
“This new store will serve young athletes who have a passion for running and training,”said Nike Brand President Charlie Denson. “We’re partnering with Finish Line to offer a higher level of service, a deeper connection to the local running community and a strengthened product assortment. It’s part of our strategy to create energy at retail and connect with consumers in our core categories.”
Build-A-Bear Workshop Teams With MLB To Open Build-A-Bear Stadium Stores
Build-A-Bear Workshop has teamed with Major League Baseball Properties to open Build-A-Bear Workshop make-your-own MLB Mascot locations. Build-A-Bear Workshop has opened a new stadium store, Make Your Own Screech by Build-A-Bear Workshop, at the new Nationals Park in Washington D.C. Build-A-Bear Workshop also has store locations in other stadiums across the country: Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati, AT&T Park in San Francisco; and Busch Stadium in St. Louis.
“Major League Baseball games are destinations for family entertainment and at Build-A-Bear Workshop it is important for us to be where families go to have fun,” said Maxine Clark, Build-A-Bear Workshop founder. “Our ballpark stores include the same interaction as our mall-based stores and we are excited about continuing to give baseball fans unique ways to show their team spirit each season.”
Westin Hotels Partners With Nintendo Wii For WestinWORKOUT Program
Nintendo and Westin Hotels & Resorts will allow guests to experience Wii™ s with a special version of the console ideally suited for use in the hotel environment. Westin Hotels is the first hotel company to partner with Nintendo for its Wii console and will feature this specially designed console as part of the brand's WestinWORKOUT program.
Using the innovative motion-sensitive Wii Remote™ controller, WestinWORKOUT users can get both body and brain moving with a variety of interactive games, including Wii Sports (featuring tennis, golf, baseball, bowling and boxing activities), Big Brain Academy™: Wii Degree and Wii Play™. The special Wii system includes features to simplify system management for the hotel property. A simple new game menu makes it easy to jump in and play without inserting game discs, and each property can manage what games are offered.
“Delivering an active entertainment experience is what Wii is all about,” said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo’s Exec. V.P., Marketing.
Gamer Doc Retail Video Game Store Delivers Interactive Customer Experience
Gamer Doc(TM)is a new retail video game store that delivers an interactive customer experience. Upon entering Gamer Doc, consumers may find themselves in a burned-out building, as if they are in a first-person shooter battle zone, or on board a futuristic “Borg Spaceship,” or in a carefree, cartoon-character atmosphere. Each design concept features special lighting, environmental, and sound effects to enhance the interactive experience.
Jim Belanger,President of Gamer Doc, said, “Gamer Doc will not be just a video game store, but an experience for people to get involved in.”
Destination True Value Debuts New Store Format
True Value Co. recently unveiled a new retail format designed to provide customers with a one-stop-shop for all the products, and inspiration they need to complete their home-improvement projects.
Stores will offer customers a broad product selection in core hardware categories and include inspiration centers to pique interest in future projects. True Value’s flexible new format enables its independent retailers to adapt the layout and custom-select merchandise assortments best-suited for their local market. Destination True Value was created to appeal to female customers, yet still feel like a traditional hardware store to the male shopper.
Carol Wentworth, V.P., Marketing, said, “This format will help customers easily find all the items and receive the advice they need to complete a project, but also be inspired to tackle their next home-improvement endeavor.”
Home Safety Council & Lowe’s Bring ‘Field Trip On Wheels’ To Neighborhoods
The national Home Safety Council recently conducted the traveling home safety exhibit, “The Great Safety Adventure,” sponsored by Lowe’s. The interactive “field trip on wheels” tours the country stopping at elementary schools and Lowe’s stores to bring valuable home safety lessons to life.
The Great Safety Adventure is roughly the size of a small house and unfolds from a semi-tractor trailer truck to form a 1,000 square foot animated home. After entering the oversized front door and gathering in the living room, the children begin their tour as “safety rangers-in-training” and are on the lookout to identify common home dangers.
Office Depot First Achieves Volume LEED Pre-Certification For New Store Prototype
Office Depot has achieved volume pre-certification from the United States Green Building Council under the pilot Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Portfolio Program for its store prototype design. Office Depot is the first Company to have achieved this pre-certification for new construction.
“Office Depot has implemented a number of initiatives to improve the energy efficiency of our stores and reduce our environmental footprint,” said Ed Costa, V.P., Construction for Office Depot.
Office Depot’'s LEED pre-certified prototype features a number of environmental attributes, including: solar tracking skylights to maximize natural light; solar panels; energy efficient T5 lighting; recycled content carpet; and a recycling program for collection of paper, plastics, ink/toner cartridges and technology.
HP Launches Eco Solutions Program
HP has unveiled the HP Eco Solutions program to help customers reduce the environmental impact of their imaging and printing. The initiative includes elements such as: the sustainable manufacture and use of paper HP sells to customers and uses for packaging, collateral and its own office printing; a new HP inkjet printer made almost entirely from recycled materials; and, an HP Eco Highlights label that will help customers identify environmental attributes of a given HP product or service.
“HP is focused on helping our customers, reduce their environmental impact,” said Vyomesh Joshi,Exec. V.P., Imaging and Printing Group, HP. HP has also pledged to: improve the overall energy efficiency of its ink and laser printing products by 40 percent by 2011 and increase the amount of recycled materials used in its inkjet printers by three times by 2010.
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