Consumer Affairs & Relations

Sam’s Club is celebrating National Small Business Week in a very big way.

The retailer is launching the Small Business Economic Mobility initiative (SBEM), a five-year investment in small business growth through increased access to capital and borrower education, with grants totaling $13.6 million to eight national nonprofits.

In the South, it’s never too early to talk about football, which is why N.C.-based department store Belk made a big college football announcement this week.

The chain says it will be the title sponsor of the 2015 Belk College Kickoff Game, featuring the University of North Carolina Tar Heels and the University of South Carolina Gamecocks. The game is set to take place at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte on Sept. 3 with a 6 p.m. kickoff.

Kohl’s is showing its customers that it cares about the recent earthquake in Nepal by making a large donation through its Kohl's Cares program.

The retailer is awarding a $50,000 cash grant toward earthquake relief efforts in Nepal. Kohl’s is providing this donation to the American Red Cross, which is delivering much-needed emergency supplies and services in the impacted areas.

Denton, Texas - Sally Beauty Holdings Inc. has announced it is currently investigating reports of unusual activity involving payment cards used at some of its Sally Beauty stores in the United States. The retailer reported a security breach that may have exposed fewer than 25,000 customer credit card numbers in 2014; media reports indicate this is a separate incident.

Issaquah, Wash. – Costco Wholesale Corp. is reportedly off to a litigious start in the first half of 2015. According to the Wall Street Journal, Costco is suing Johnson & Johnson’s Vision Care division for allegedly fixing prices on contact lenses.

True Value Company has selected a specialty retail veteran as its next chief financial officer.

Hancock Fabrics’s CEO says the company is “heading in the right direction” after reporting an increase in same store sales for the fourth quarter.

The financial news comes just a few weeks after the retailer announced the refinancing of the company’s existing senior debt under a new credit agreement with Wells Fargo Capital Finance and Great American Capital Partners.

Only 53% of executives believe the EMV chip and pin will protect against a data breach, despite claims that it is more secure, according to a new study.

Weis Markets says its customer experience strategy is paying off, as the grocery chain credited the effort with its increase in same store sales in the first quarter.

New York -- O’Reilly Automotive posted a strong first quarter, laying the foundation for continued growth in 2015. America’s second largest retailer in the automotive aftermarket industry said its expansion plans are on track after profit rose in the first quarter on higher sales and better margins, continuing a trend of 15% or greater profit growth for the past six years. The company said it plans to build a new distribution center in Texas to help support its 205 new stores in 2015.