Consumer Affairs & Relations

Washington, D.C. – An estimated 184 million viewers will watch Super Bowl XLIX on Sunday, Feb. 1. According to NRF’s Super Bowl Spending Survey conducted by Prosper Insights & Analytics, average viewer spending will reach a survey high of $77.88, up from $68.27 in 2013.

Total spending is expected to reach $14.3 billion. Young adults ages 18-24 plan on spending an average of $95.92; those ages 25-34 and 35-44, however, will spend slightly more at an average of $101.54 and $102.82, respectively.

Dollar General CEO Rick Dreiling had planned to retire in a few months, but after Family Dollar shareholder’s snubbed his company’s buyout offer, Dreiling said he’ll stick around a bit longer.

New York -- Ebay Inc.  plans to cut about 2,400 positions, or 7% of its workforce, across eBay marketplaces, PayPal, and eBay enterprise in the current quarter to simplify its organizational structure.

The company also said it will explore strategic options for eBay enterprise, including a sale or an IPO.

New York -- The family of James McNair, the comedian killed in the automobile accident that also seriously injured comedian Tracy Morgan, has reached a financial settlement with Wal-Mart Stores Inc, Reuters reported.

The out-of-court settlement is the first legal resolution from the crash, which occurred on June 7, 2014, on the New Jersey Turnpike.

Terms of the settlement were confidential, according to the report, and Walmart did not admit liability in the settlement.

It's the end of an era for Safeway and Albertsons, as the companies announced they have completed their merger, ending a nearly year-long process that began in 2014.

AB Acquisition LLC, the owner of Albertson's and New Albertson's, Inc., will acquire all outstanding shares of Safeway. The merger will create a diversified network that includes 2,230 stores, 27 distribution facilities and 19 manufacturing plants with more than 250,000 employees across 34 states and the District of Columbia.

Columbus, Ohio –  Express Inc. and private-equity firm Sycamore Partners announced that, despite having worked together in good faith towards a transaction during the past several months, discussions regarding Sycamore’s expressed interest in acquiring Express have been terminated. The companies said that discussions were halted due to the unavailability of financing on commercially acceptable terms.

In June, Express said it had been approached by Sycamore about a potential deal. Sycamore Partners has a 9.8% stake in Express.

Washington, D.C. - The National Retail Federation (NRF) has publicly expressed disappointment at the U.S. Supreme Court’s announcement that it would not review an appellate court ruling on whether the Federal Reserve set a 2011 cap on debit card swipe fees higher than the level sought by Congress in legislation passed the year before.

New York -- The Home Depot has been given until July to respond to allegations that its data breach occurred because the retailer did not meet its obligation to comply with security standards and to protect its customers' personal information, according to the Atlanta Business Chronicle.

At a hearing, U.S. District Court Judge Thomas Thrash gave Home Depot until July 1 and July 15, respectively, to respond to the allegations of consumers and financial institutions.

New York -- The Retail Industry Leaders Association announced that top executives from Target, Walgreens and Cabela’s have joined the association’s board of directors.

RILA announced four new members of its board, including Target chairman and CEO Brian Cornell, Walgreens president Alexander Gourlay, Cabela’s president and CEO Thomas Millner and Newell Rubbermaid president and CEO Michael Polk.

New York -- Activist investor Starboard Value LP, which helped put together the merger of OfficeMax and Office Depot, issued a letter on Tuesday calling for Staples Inc. and Office Depot Inc. to merge, saying it would lead to greater savings.