Consumer Affairs & Relations

AutoZone just logged its 35th consecutive quarter of double digit earnings per share growth, proving again that it is like the Honda Accord of the retail industry – a reliable performer that stirs emotions among those with an appreciation for consistency.

Los Angeles -- Specialty teen retailer Hot Topic is acquiring Geeknet, parent company of online retailers ThinkGeek and ThinkGeek Solutions, for approximately $122 million, which is more than double the company’s market value.  

ThinkGeek sells a wide range of merchandise, including clothing, toys, and gadgets mostly based on popular movies, television shows and brands that have strong "geek" appeal, such as "Star Trek," ''The Big Bang Theory," and ''Star Wars."

After reporting disappointing financial results for the first quarter, the Fresh Market can use all the help it can get in communicating its value proposition to shoppers.

So it may not come as a surprise that the grocery chain has selected a new advertising agency to drive growth going forward. The Fresh Market announced that its new agency, Zimmerman, will conduct strategic planning, creative services, brand activation, media planning & buying (traditional and digital), internal campaign development and social media activation for the company.

Nordstrom is looking to increase its capital efficiency by selling its credit card portfolio to a Canadian bank.

Nordstrom and Toronto-based TD Bank Group announced an agreement under which TD will acquire Nordstrom's existing U.S. Visa and private label consumer credit card portfolio, which currently totals about $2.2 billion in receivables. Terms of the purchase were not disclosed.

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.

Greensboro, N.C. – It was a mixed first quarter for The Fresh Market Inc. as the grocery retailer met Wall Street expectations for profit but fell short on sales. Net income totaled $15.17 million, down 8% from $16.57 million.

Higher operating expenses drove the reduction in net income. Sales increased 7% to $462.04 million from $431 million. Same-store sales dropped 0.1%.

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%.