Consumer Affairs & Relations

Many retailers are lagging in their EMV adoption efforts, and many consumers may not care that much.

When it comes to security breaches, consumers are clear about who they hold responsible.

According to a new study from retail services provider Interactions, “Security Hacks and the Lasting Impact on Retailers,” 75% of consumers believe that keeping shopper information safe is the retailer’s responsibility.

Mall owner Westfield Corp. has acquired two buildings owned by Macy’s at Westfield Mission Valley mall in San Diego for approximately $16.5 million.

Included in the sale were a full-line Macy’s department store and a nearby — and much smaller — building that houses a restaurant.

The purchase comes as the retailer remains under pressure from an activist investor to sell off full or partial stakes in some of its real estate.

The National Retail Federation is pressing for a further reduction in per transaction fee banks charge retailers when customers use debit cards five years after the Federal Reserve cut the fee in half.

In a letter the National Retail Federation sent to the Federal Reserve the trade group said the cap on debit card swipe fees enacted by the Federal Reserve five years ago has helped reduce costs for retailers and consumers but is still higher than intended by Congress and should be lowered.

Furniture and specialty home goods retailer Conn’s is extending its Conn’s Cares philanthropic program for a second year.

The company is partnering with First Book and Little Free Library — organizations that have been recognized by the Library of Congress for their excellence in the advancement of literacy — to expand the literacy focus of Conn’s Cares.

Democracy Works, a non-partisan, non-profit organization, said on Wednesday it is teaming up with an array of companies, including Starbucks, Target and Westfield Corp., in an effort to boost U.S. voter turnout to 80% by 2020.

The project, called the TurboVote Challenge, is ambitious. The last time the U.S. achieved a voter turnout rate over 80% was in 1888. An estimated 57.5% of eligible citizens voted in the 2012 presidential election.

Three Schnucks St. Charles County stores will unveil freshly remodeled interiors prior to the Easter holiday this weekend, the company announced Tuesday. Upon entering, customers will notice improved lighting, clean lines and new décor.