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San Diego — Petco Health and Wellness Company, Inc. has released its 2023 Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) report, detailing progress on its mission to improve the lives of pets, pet parents and its own employees — including the launch of a new large-scale LDPE plastic recycling program.  “Our commitment to making a positive impact on the lives of pets, people and the planet we all share is pivotal to our mission as a purpose-driven pet retailer,” says Benjamin Thiele-Long, chief ESG and communications officer. “By making meaningful progress on …

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College Station, Texas — With 16 restaurants open and another 212 awarded, including 91 in the first quarter alone, chicken finger franchise Layne’s Chicken Fingers is building a team to support its rapidly growing system. The team recently welcomed Alex Camp as senior director of operations and Ashley Reynolds as director of marketing. The brand also recently moved into a new office, which accommodates more team members and provides them with the space they need as the brand scales. Layne’s has welcomed several new experts to the family to bolster …

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Minneapolis — Target Corporation has named Christina Hennington, currently chief growth officer, as chief strategy and growth officer, and Rick Gomez, currently chief food, essentials and beauty officer, as chief commercial officer, overseeing Target’s merchandising business, both effective July 7. Lisa Roath, Target’s chief marketing officer, will take on the role of chief merchandising officer of food, essentials and beauty in early 2025. The company is initiating an external search for its next chief marketing officer and, until a successor is named, Roath will remain in full capacity as chief …

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Boca Raton, Fla. — I Heart Mac & Cheese has hired Angelo Freites as vice president of franchise operations and Rafael Romero as director of marketing. Freites has 40 years of experience in the franchise industry, previously as a franchisee of Wendy’s and Checkers. Romero joins the company from YUM! International (KFC) and Wendy’s International as brand strategist and marketing director across Latin America and the Caribbean. “I am so pleased to have such top industry veterans as Angelo Freites and Rafael Romero join the I Heart team,” says Steve …

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Boston Heights, Ohio — Arhaus, a leader in artisan-crafted furniture and home décor, has opened a new 15,411-square-foot showroom at The Beacon La Costa in Carlsbad, Calif., as part of its continued West Coast expansion. Situated along the coast 35 miles north of San Diego, the Carlsbad showroom opened on June 14 and marks the brand’s 12th location in California, and 6th to open within the past year. Other nearby locations include Newport Beach and San Diego. Founded in 1986, Arhaus is a rapidly growing lifestyle brand and omnichannel retailer …

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Campbell, Calif. — ChargePoint, a leading provider of networked charging solutions for electric vehicles (EVs), and global innovator LG Electronics (LG) have formed a strategic partnership to leverage their respective strengths for future innovations in EV charging. LG’s U.S.-made EV chargers are UL-certified for charging stability and ENERGY STAR® certified for efficiency. These chargers will be paired with ChargePoint’s cloud software. The first output of this relationship will be commercial charging solutions that encompass ChargePoint’s charger management software and LG’s EV charging hardware, with deliveries expected to begin later this …

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Charlotte, N.C. — Bojangles, known for its iconic Southern food, has promoted Nick Swanson as the new vice president of business insights and analytics. In addition to experience with Bojangles, Swanson has a wealth of knowledge in leveraging consumer insights and data-driven decision-making to foster growth among notable brands in retail and consumer packaged goods. Since joining Bojangles in 2019, Swanson has been instrumental in fostering a strong data-driven culture within the company. His efforts have accelerated growth in both existing and new markets by closely partnering with marketing, operations, …

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Janesville, Wis. — Blain’s Farm & Fleet® has promoted Mark Hasting to chief executive officer and president. Kim Treece will be promoted to chief stores officer. Jane Blain Gilbertson will take on a new role as executive chair of the board and will remain the sole owner of Blain’s Farm & Fleet and Blain Supply, Inc. The transition will take place over the next several months and will be complete in September. “This succession plan was put into place 4 years ago when we hired Mark to join our company …

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Dallas — Nothing Bundt Cakes, famous for its handcrafted Bundt Cakes, Bundtlets and Bundtinis®, is celebrating the opening of its 600th bakery, located in Tampa, Fla., as the brand continues its strategic expansion. The brand has ambitious plans to open its 1,000th location by 2027. The Dallas-based company has grown into the nation’s largest specialty cake company, with locations throughout more than 40 states and Canada. Nothing Bundt Cakes opened 84 bakeries in 2023. Its 600th bakery is the 41st new location so far in 2024. The brand is on …

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Salisbury, N.C. — Leading grocery retail group Ahold Delhaize USA has formed a partnership with global snacking leader Kellanova (formerly Kellogg Company) and North American agribusiness, Bartlett, to reduce Scope 3 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from wheat farming across the value chain. This collaboration aims to decrease Scope 3 emissions, improving farm and supply chain resiliency. The pilot program, which is expected to kick off this summer, will leverage financial investments from Ahold Delhaize USA, Kellanova and Bartlett to support the adoption of regenerative agricultural practices among wheat farmers in …

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