Skip to main content

Consumer Affairs & Relations

  • NRF takes ‘patent troll’ fight to Congress

    They are not mythological monsters, but a real phenomenon retailers say is limiting their ability to take advantage of emerging technologies.

    The National Retail Federation (NRF) is officially calling on Congress to pass patent reform legislation that would put an end to “shakedown settlements” forced on retailers by “patent trolls.” Patent trolls are companies that purchase often-obscure patents for technology they did not invent, then demand licensing fees from retailers and other businesses that may not realize the technology is patented.

  • Victoria's Secret lifts L Brands

    The parent company of Victoria's Secret and Bath & Body Works credited the strength of its brands with helping it to buck the financial doldrums affecting many other retailers in the fourth quarter.

    For the period ended Jan. 30, L Brands earned $636 million, or $2.15 a share, up from $564.8 million, or $1.89 a share, a year earlier. Net income increased 13% to $636.0 million, compared to $564.8 million last year. Net sales were $4.395 billion, an increase of 8%. Same-store sales increased 6%.

  • Build-A-Bear Workshop adds toy, social media expertise to board

    Build-A-Bear is adding two new board members whose backgrounds should serve the company well as it moves forward with its transformation plan.

    Build-A-Bear announcedthat Tim Kilpin and Sarah Personette have been appointed to the company’s board of directors.

  • Consumer confidence slips in February

    Consumer confidence fell into a slump in February, driven largely by a less optimistic view of business conditions.

    According to the Conference Board, the index currently stands at 92.2, down from 97.8 in January.

  • Profits improve as Office Depot awaits FTC action

    Office Depot continues to hope its merger with Staples secures approval from U.S. regulators, but in the meantime the performance of its retail operations is looking much better should it remain an independent company.

    Office Depot’s North American retail footprint did shrink to 1,564 locations at the end of the year after the company closed a total of 181 stores, including 56 in the fourth quarter. Thinning the herd a bit helped the overall profitability of Office Depot’s largest division during the period ended Dec. 26 even though sales declined.

  • CBRE ranked among Fortune Magazine’s most admired companies for fourth consecutive year

    Los Angeles -- CBRE Group announced that it has been ranked among Fortune’s Most Admired Companies in the real estate industry for the fourth consecutive year.

    Fortune rates companies on attributes related to corporate performance. In the 2016 program, CBRE was the top-rated real estate firm for people management and also scored notably well on quality of services, quality of management, financial soundness and innovation. Overall CBRE achieved a score of 6.69, up from 6.23 in 2015.

  • Ahold USA is going 100% cage-free by 2022

    Ahold USA is following a cue from other retail giants in announcing that its companies' private label shell eggs will be 100% cage-free by 2022.

    Ahold USA says its retail divisions – Stop & Shop, Giant Food of Landover, Giant Food Stores of Carlisle, Martin's and online grocer Peapod – now offer cage-free, free-range, organic, and traditional egg varieties for its customers.  Approximately 80% of all eggs sold among Ahold USA companies are sold as "Own Brands" or private label.

  • Another industry vet bids Kroger adieu

    After 44 years with Kroger, Smith’s division president Jay Cummins announced plans to retire.

    Cummins joined the company in 1972 as a clerk. His retirement will take effect April 29, the company said. A replacement to lead the 139 unit Salt Lake City-based division was not immediately named.

X
This ad will auto-close in 10 seconds