Retail Briefs

Wal-Mart's new Romeoville, Ill. unit is the first of four "second generation of high-efficiency stores," which it said will use 25% less energy than its baseline supercenter. Greenhouse gas emissions will fall by cutting refrigerants by 90%. Leslie Dach, evp of corporate affairs, pledged Wal-Mart will "ultimately reach a day when every new store is 25-30% more energy efficient than it was in 2005."

Mid-tier retailer Kohl's has reached a licensing agreement with Liz Claiborne Inc. naming Kohl's the exclusive U.S. retailer for the Dana Buchman brand in fashion merchandise and — potentially — in home textiles. Women's apparel, intimate apparel, accessories, and footwear will debut in spring 2009. Ultimately, the brand "may extend into home, beauty and fragrance categories," the retailer said. The designer will discontinue his upstairs line.

Specialty retailer Cost Plus World Market will exit eight markets in fiscal 2008, closing 18 existing stores, helping to concentrate advertising in better performing markets — and it will trim its labor force by about 10%. Cost Plus still plans to open 17 new stores; president and ceo Barry Feld said these actions will augment "the progress that has already been achieved in re-merchandising our stores, improving traffic trends in many markets and substantial increases in the units per transaction."

Department store operator The Bon-Ton Stores will open its 17th Herberger's in Minnesota in Blaine, the site of a former Mervyns about eight miles north of downtown Minneapolis; remodeling of the two-level, 130,000-square-foot store is to be done by August. "We believe the addition of a Herberger's in the Northtown Mall will enhance the total shopping experience for our customers in this market," said Bud Bergren, president and ceo of 280-unit Bon-Ton.

Closeout retailer Tuesday Morning named evp, coo Michael Marchetti acting cfo, secretary and treasurer, effective Jan. 16 to fill the post vacated Jan. 15 by cfo Elizabeth Schroeder. Marchetti joined the 831-store company in 2001 as svp, strategic planning and was promoted to evp, operations in 2002, then named coo the following year.