Consumer Affairs & Relations

By Luis Salazar and Neha Dagley   Watch out, retailers with stores in Florida. The Florida State Legislature has tightened controls over businesses for data security breaches. Effective July 1, 2014, the new Florida Information Protection Act (FIPA) will impact your business and how you handle data breaches.  In recent years, data breaches have become commonplace, and have undoubtedly affected the chain-store industry.     FIPA: COMPLIANCE AND CONSEQUENCES

Kroger is highlighting its efforts to fight the U.S. obesity epidemic at a nutrition forum in Italy this month.

New York - Shack Corp. on Monday denied that it  defaulted on a loan from its term lenders—Salus Capital Partners and Cerberus Capital Management—less than a week after the chain initially disputed the allegations as “wrong and self-serving,” the Wall Street Journal reported.  

Eighties sensation Weird Al Yankovic is offering RadioShack a new hope for the holidays.

Yankovic is appearing in the chain's holiday ad campaign called "Gift Smart.” In the ad, he sings his own unique take on the holiday song “Toyland.”

"He's tech-savvy, smart and a social media guru," said RadioShack chief marketing officer Jennifer Warren. Yankovich has more than 3.5 million Twitter followers and 1.6 million Facebook fans. "I don't think there could be a better fit for our brand right now."

Oakville, Canada — The proposed merger between Tim Hortons Inc. and Burger King Worldwide Inc. has been approved by the Minister of Industry under the Investment Canada Act ("ICA"). The companies have set the deadline for registered shareholders of Tim Hortons or Burger King Worldwide to make an election by Dec. 9, with the assumption the proposed merger will occur Dec. 12.

Weakening demand for guns and ammunition contributed to a 6.2 percent decline in same store sales at outdoor retailer Sportsman’s Warehouse Holdings.

The comp decline was offset by an increase in new stores which allowed the company to grow sales by 4.3 percent to $182.5 million and end the third quarter on Nov. 1 with 55 stores. Profits on an adjusted basis to exclude non-recurring expenses were $8.9 million, or 21 cents a share, compared to $7.1 million, or 17 cents a share.

Goodlettsville, Tenn. — Dollar General Corp. and Dollar Tree engaged in a verbal war on Friday as they both seek to acquire Family Dollar.    In a news release, Dollar Tree said Dollar General's bid "may ultimately fail" because the Federal Trade Commission may require it to sell more than the 1,500 stores the retailer has said it is willing to let go of.  

As the acquisition of Family Dollar moves closer to resolution, would-be acquirers Dollar Tree and Dollar General maintain widely differing views on the superiority of their respective offers and the opinion of federal regulators.