Content about Chicago metropolitan area

August 30, 2012
Sears falls off the S&P 500

Sears Holdings will lose its spot in the S&P 500 after the close of trading on Sept. 4. It will be replaced by chemical maker LyondellBasell (LYB).

August 29, 2012
Sears Hometown spinoff set for Sept. 7

Sears Hometown and Outlet Stores Inc. will begin trading next week on Nasdaq, Sears Holdings Corp. announced Tuesday.

The price of shares is initially set at $15 for Sears Hometown. 

April 27, 2012
National Hardware Show preview

Whether it’s a product designed to bring efficiency to the home, save time for the DIYer or allow a consumer a chance to feel good about buying a Made-in-the-USA product, show organizers have taken steps to give permanence to the show-floor activity.

The May 1 to 3 event at the Las Vegas Convention Center will see a few new twists.

For the first time at the show, a “Made in the USA Pavilion” will showcase domestic-made products.

April 16, 2012
Ace CEO gets air time on Fox

Ray Griffith, the CEO of Oak Brook, Ill.-based Ace Hardware, explained during an interview on Fox Business that consumers will continue to spend on their homes.

“We had a real good first quarter, and so far it’s carrying into April,” said Griffith during a segment described by the network as “Banking on do-it-yourself.”  

February 17, 2012
Sears lays off 100 at headquarters

According to an article in the Chicago Sun Times, Sears Holdings Corp. will lay off employees from a variety of departments at its Hoffman Estates, Ill., headquarters.

The layoffs will not affect the retailer's recently approved tax credit from the state of Illinios. The $150 million payroll tax credit take effect next year, and -- according to the article -- requires a minimum of 4,250 headquarters employees.

February 16, 2012
Competitors unite at City of Hope event

Orlando, Fla. -- The stage of the 2012 City of Hope “Spirit of Life” event featured one brand new honoree, several more industry icons and 30 years of memories for the hardware/homebuilding group.

Convening for the good of the California-based cancer treatment and research center, executives and supporters filled a banquet room at the Rosen Plaza Hotel here on the eve of the International Builders' Show to honor the man of the hour: Ace Hardware's Ray Griffith. The president and CEO of the Oak Brook, Ill.-based hardware co-op accepted the 2012 Spirit of Life award.

January 23, 2012
Harsh review: Sears makes a "most-hated" list

A list compiled by 24/7 Wall St., based on both shareholder and consumer satisfaction, placed Sears in ninth place on the Ten Most Hated Companies in America. The Hoffman Estates, Ill.-based company was one of two retailers – the other being Best Buy at no. 6 – that made the publication’s list. Facebook ranked first on the list, followed by American Airlines and AT&T.

December 14, 2011
Sears may stay in Illinois after all

The Hoffman Estates, Ill.-based retail giant thanked lawmakers for passing a tax-incentive plan to keep business in the state.

After researching a possible move to Ohio or Texas, Sears yesterday applauded the Illinois General Assembly for its bipartisan support of legislation that Sears said would allow it to maintain its headquarters in Hoffman Estates, Ill.

November 30, 2011
Sears Canada sheds employees at headquarters

According to an article in Canadian Business, Sears Canada laid off about 70 employees from its Toronto headquarters.

Sears Canada is 92% owned by Hoffman Estates, Ill.-based Sears Holdings, which reported a widened net loss in its recent third-quarter earnings report. Sears Canada comps declined 7.8% in the third quarter.

 

October 19, 2011
Ace Hardware clarifies deal with Sears Brands

Speaking to Ace Hardware dealers at the co-op's 2011 Fall Convention & Exhibits in Denver, Ace's John Surane clarified Ace's agreement with Sears regarding Craftsman and exclusivity.

"Our agreement gives Ace the exclusive rights to sell the craftsman brand in the convenience hardware channel until the year 2015," Surane told dealers during the General Session in Denver. He added the deal does not prohibit Sears, which owns the Craftsman brand, from selling to big-box retailers or the mass merchants. 

October 12, 2011
See how they grow: Ace Fall Market will unveil live goods program

Oak Brook, Ill.-based Ace Hardware Co. will unveil its new live goods program in Denver during its Fall Convention & Exhibits Oct. 15 to 17. 

The live goods program was tested at some Northeast retailers with strong results, according to Ace. The new program includes a partnership with BloomIQ.com, offering personalized garden planning tools for customers.

The live goods program is launching nationally in 2012.

October 6, 2011
Sears officials scout sites for headquarters

An article in the Cleveland Plain Dealer reported that Sears officials were scouting sites in Ohio for a possible headquarters move.

Although the Hoffman Estates, Ill.-based retailer is considering a headquarters move, no decision to move has been made. Candidates are sites in Ohio and Texas. 

September 14, 2011
Ace Hardware building Virginia warehouse?

Workers have been clearing land for what might be a large Ace Hardware distribution center in Suffolk, Va., according to an article in the Virginia Pilot.  

The Suffolk site is part of a planned 5.8 million-sq.-ft. complex under development on 900 acres by CenterPoint Properties Trust, which is based in Oak Brook, Ill., where Ace is also headquartered.

September 1, 2011
With Craftsman on the move, Ace points to growth in tools

Ace Hardware Corp. said it is continuing to power up its tool department, and Craftsman continues to play a major role -- even as the Sears brand tests the water in other retail outlets.

As the exclusive outlet of Craftsman products in the convenience hardware industry, Ace said it is expecting more of its stores to offer more Craftsman products in the coming months.

August 24, 2011
Orchard Supply extends marketing services deal

San Jose, Calif.-based Orchard Supply Hardware tapped Vertis Communications to supply marketing services in a new three-year deal.

Under the agreement, which extends a 15-year relationship between the two companies, Vertis will manage Orchard Supply Hardware's advertising inserts program from its local Sacramento facility.

Orchard Supply Hardware is among Vertis' growing portfolio of home improvement retailers including Lowe's, Ace Hardware and Menards.

August 19, 2011
Overstock Craftsman tools found at Menards

Postings and photographs on garagejournal.com have reported seeing Craftsman tool sets on sale at their local Menards stores. Sightings of a 104-piece Mechanics tool set selling for $99.95 in a Menards in Schererville, Ind., launched a discussion among tool aficionados about the price -- considered on the high side -- and how the tools ended up there in the first place.

August 9, 2011
Report: Sears narrows its search for possible move

Hoffman Estates, Ill.-based Sears Holdings Corp. is no longer considering Ohio for a possible headquarters move, according to a report from Crain's Chicago Business.

June 24, 2011
Sears to spin off Orchard Supply

Hoffman Estates, Ill.-based Sears Holdings Corp. said it plans to spin off its interest in Orchard Supply Hardware Stores, an 89-store chain that operates in California.

Orchard Supply Hardware -- also known as OSH -- recently named Mark Baker, a former top merchant at The Home Depot, as its CEO. OSH is based in San Jose and posted $660.7 million in sales in 2010, with a profit of $8.7 million.

June 12, 2011
Ace unveils its new paint brand, Clark + Kensington

Oak Brook, Ill.-base Ace Hardware Corp. introduced Clark + Kensington, a new line of premier paint of the paint-and-primer-in-one variety.

Ace will begin shipping Clark + Kensingtron from its distribution centers beginning Sept. 6, and it will go nationwide during the first two quarters of 2012. 

The line of 100 percent acrylic, low-VOC paint is named after Ace’s first retail location on Chicago’s Clark Street and the site of their worldwide headquarters.

May 29, 2011
Ace's Motorcycle Mission rides again

For the fourth year in a row, the Ace Foundation's "Motorcycle Miracle Mission" is hitting the road to raise money for Children's Miracle Network Hospitals.

The event generated $100,000 for the cause in the last three years. Riders will travel the 600-mile route from Oak Brook, Ill. -- headquarters of Ace Hardware -- to Marshfield, Wis., and back July 22-24.

May 11, 2011
Sears considers moving out of Illinois

Sears Holdings Corp. is researching a possible move of its headquarters and 6,200 jobs out of Illinois, a company spokesman said Monday.

The retailer has had preliminary discussions with the Chicago suburb of Hoffman Estates, where it is located, and has commissioned an economic impact study, according to spokesman Chris Brathwaite.

May 4, 2011
Sears CEO says company is on the mend

The Chicago Tribune reported Sears Holdings Corp. CEO Louis D'Ambrosio supplied a strong dose of optimism at the Hoffman Estates, Ill.-based retailer's annual meeting, the day after the company warned of falling sales.

May 2, 2011
In Chicago, a parade of programs

Chicago — Ace Hardware Corp. had some positive news to tell its members during the co-op’s Spring Convention general session. Sales were on the increase — particularly fourth-quarter sales. POS data was beginning to help retailers benchmark their performance, and a new Craftsman program was expanding that brand to smaller-format stores. 


But then there was that other thing — the company’s supply chain transition.


April 11, 2011
Twins Ace Hardware opens in Fairfax

Twin brothers Craig and Jeff Smith opened Twins Ace Hardware in Fairfax, Va., in a 16,000-sq.-ft. store on Main Street.

The brothers have a combined 19 years experience in hardware retailing with the independent chain Strosniders Hardware. 

The new store, which has no other connection to Strosniders, is located in the Main Street Marketplace Shopping Center next to a Walgreens.

April 1, 2011
OPE e-commerce dealer opens first store

Power Equipment Direct, an Internet-only retailer with nine e-commerce sites, has opened its first bricks-and-mortar store -- right down the street from Home Dept, Lowe’s and Sears. According to an article in Internet Retailer, the Bolingbrook, Ill., location, a suburb of Chicago, is adjacent to one of the company’s warehouses, allowing immediate fulfillment of most orders.