Associations

WASHINGTON — The National Retail Federation welcomed the House vote on legislation intended to avoid middle-class tax increases in the fiscal cliff, saying progress on the issue is critically important.

ATLANTA — The Coca-Cola Company has introduced a free-to-play mobile game called Thred, which will enable users to have fun while getting involved in the global campaign to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria.

Coca-Cola teamed up with Red, an organization founded in 2006 by Bono and Bobby Shriver to engage businesses and people in the fight against AIDS.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — The National Association of Chain Drug Stores’ EVP and CFO Jim Huber is retiring after 25 years of service.

He will be succeeded by David Fitzsimmons, who has been promoted to SVP of finance and administration, effective December 21. Fitzsimmons currently serves as VP of finance and accounting.

Long time Fred Meyer executive Lynn Gust was named president of the 133 store Kroger division.

Gust, 59, joined Koriger in 1970 as a parcel clerk and most recently served as the company’s SVP of operations. Gust was appointed to that position in 2011 and prior to that he served as EVP of corporate merchandising and advertising. During his career Gust also served as vp of the Fred Meyer food group and SVP of store operations.

Cargo volumes at U.S. ports are forecast to increase 3.9% this month following a 5.6% decline in November. That’s the good news, but now retailers and suppliers have to worry about the possibility of a strike at East coast ports.

The strike by workers at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach negatively affected container volumes in November, but resolution of the strike after eight days meant disruption in December was limited to just two days, according to the monthly Global Port Tracker report compiled by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates

London -- An increasing number of U.K. consumers are spending more time at the nation’s shopping centers, according to a newly launched weekly statistic released Wednesday by the International Council of Shopping Centers and Path Intelligence.

Washington, D.C. -- A report released Wednesday by Shop.org, a division of the National Retail Federation, found that retailers are in tune with the last-minute shipping intentions of the average consumer.

According to Shop.org’s 2012 eHoliday Study conducted by BIGinsight, 45.7% of retailers will end standard shipping promotions by Monday, Dec. 17, in direct response to the average consumer’s tendency to wait until the last minute to finish holiday shopping.

Washington, D.C. -- A report released Tuesday by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates found that cargo volumes at U.S. ports are forecast to increase 3.9% in December following a 5.6% decline in November.

According to the monthly Global Port Tracker report, container volumes were negatively impacted in November by the West coast strike by workers at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, but resolution of the strike after eight days meant disruption in December was limited to just two days.