Consumer Affairs & Relations

New York - The proposed $19 million deal between Target Corp. and MasterCard stemming from the retailer's 2013 data breach has fallen apart after it failed to get the support of 90% of the banks affected by the breach, the Minneapolis StarTribune reported. Click here for the full story.

Office Depot is seeking to attract more veterans and their families to its stores with a new discount program.

The retailer is teaming up with Veterans Advantage to reward active duty and retired military, veterans, National Guard and Reserve, and their families with a 20% discount on office supply purchases. Veterans Advantage discounts are available every day on regularly-priced items and can be combined online with the company’s standard free delivery on qualifying purchases of $50 or more within our local delivery areas.

Columbus, Ohio -- L Brands Inc. continued its winning ways in its first quarter, reporting better-than-expected earnings. The parent company of Victoria’s Secret and Bath & Body Works also lifted its earnings forecast for the full year, but issued a weak forecast for the current quarter.

L Brands’ net income increased 59% to $250.47 million from $156.98 million in the year-ago period.

Net sales grew 5% to $2.51 billion from $2.39 billion last year.

Same-store sales rose 5%.

New York – Robert Lynch, CEO of embattled Lumber Liquidators Holdings, has unexpectedly resigned as the Justice Department seeks to file criminal charges for the company’s allegedly selling Chinese hardwood laminate products that had illegal levels of formaldehyde. In a brief statement, Lumber Liquidators gave no reason for Lynch’s departure.

The CEO of Lumber Liquidators has resigned just a few months after the company became embroiled in an investigation over wood products imported from China.

The company said Robert Lynch resigned “unexpectedly” and that it intends to commence a national search for Lynch's replacement. In the interim, Thomas D. Sullivan, the company's founder, will serve as the acting chief executive officer of the company.

Waban, Mass. -- Supermarket companies Hannaford and Publix took the top spots in the 2015 Temkin Effort Ratings, which rates how easy or difficult companies are to work with. The ratings examine 293 companies across 20 industries.

Commerce, Calif. -- Smart & Final launched a new branding campaign, which will place the ampersand ("&") -- already in the 144-year old company's name -- front and center to showcase the company's relationship with both its customers and the communities it serves.

A legal veteran of Abercrombie & Fitch and Harvard Law grad has been named general counsel for Big Lots.

Ronald "Rocky" Robins Jr. becomes SVP general counsel and corporate secretary at Big Lots. Robins will be a member of the executive leadership team of the company and report directly to David Campisi, CEO and president.

Kohl’s is testing the off-price waters by opening a discount store in Cherry Hill, N.J., this summer called "Off Aisle by Kohl's," the company has confirmed.

Improved, "costumer-focused" merchandising helped American Eagle Outfitters post record net income in the first quarter.