Consumer Affairs & Relations

 Rite Aid on Tuesday announced that The Rite Aid Foundation is making a $25,000 donation to the Palmetto South Carolina Region chapter of the American Red Cross to help the victims, families and communities affected by last week’s severe flooding. 

The Retail Design Institute, the oldest and largest association for design professionals, and Chain Store Age, the leading authority on retail operations and producer of the annual SPECS conference, are partnering on the Institute’s 45th Annual International Store Design Competition.

Staples and Office Depot have agreed to a Federal Trade Commission decision to extend the review period for a possible $6.3 billion merger of the two companies.

The companies announced Monday that the FTC has agreed to issue its decision regarding this transaction by Dec. 8.

The National Retail Federation and the Retail Industry Leaders Association are aligned with the nation’s top law enforcement agency in an effort to ensure consumers have access to the most secure payment methods.

The FBI has released an official advisory warning consumers that EMV-compliant cards are still vulnerable to fraud and PIN authentication is the best means to prevent personal data theft. According to the FBI. EMV cards can still be counterfeited with stolen card data obtained on the black market.

Did Japanese retailer Uniqlo miscalculate its appeal to American shoppers?

The company, a division of Fast Retailing, is moving into the slow lane with regards to its U.S. expansion. Uniqlo now plans to open only five U.S. locations in its current fiscal year, which began on September 1, 2015, after opening 17 in its most recently completed year.

Uniqlo, which has more than 1,600 stores worldwide, operates 43 stores across the United States.

The National Retail Federation issued an above average holiday season sales forecast in which the desire of Americans to spend will be offset by their ability to do so.

The trade group projects that total holiday sales will increase 3.7% to $630.5 billion during the November time-frame and that online sales would increase between 6% and 8% to represent $108 billion of the total.

Lowe's is coming to the aid of the communities it serves with a donation to help provide relief in the wake of massive flooding in the Southeast.

The retailer plans to donate $500,000 to American Red Cross Disaster Relief and work to provide both immediate and long-term support to local communities in the Southeast.