Consumer Affairs & Relations

Fremont, Calif. -- Men's Wearhouse Inc. and Jos. A. Bank Clothiers Inc. may be inching closer to a deal. Men’s Wearhouse announced that it had reached a nondisclosure agreement with its rival, setting up talks that could lead to a merger of the two retailers. The two firms announced they are exchanging certain confidential information with each other and working in good faith to evaluate a potential combination.

As part of the agreement, Jos. A. Bank submitted a draft of a merger agreement to Men’s Wearhouse.

Publix’s sales for the fourth quarter of 2013 boosted the company’s stock price from $30 per share to $30.15 per share.

The company reported sales of $7.4 billion, a 5.3% increase from last year’s $7 billion. Comparable-store sales for the fourth quarter of 2013 increased 4.3%.

Net earnings for the fourth quarter of 2013 were $422 million, compared to $392.8 million in 2012, an increase of 7.4%. Earnings per share for the fourth quarter increased to $0.54 for 2013, up from $0.50 per share in 2012.

Men's Wearhouse and Jos. A. Bank may be inching closer to a deal. Men’s Wearhouse announced that it had reached a nondisclosure agreement with its rival, setting up talks that could lead to a merger of the two retailers.

The two firms announced they are exchanging certain confidential information with each other and working in good faith to evaluate a potential combination.

As part of the agreement, Jos. A. Bank submitted a draft of a merger agreement to Men’s Wearhouse.

Hoffman Estates, Ill. -- Sears Holdings Corp. on Friday acknowledged that it is reviewing its systems to see if it has been the victim of a security breach. To date, it hasn’t found any indication of a breach, the retailer said.

Sears issued a statement after Bloomberg News reported on Friday that the U.S. Secret Service was investigating a possible breach at Sears. The report cited a person familiar with the investigation.

New York -- The Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan's consumer sentiment index inched up to 81.6 in February from 81.2 in January.

"The most significant implication is not whether consumers have correctly assessed the weather's negative impact on the economy, but the resilience consumers have demonstrated in the face of the polar vortex as well as higher utility bills and minimal employment gains," said survey director Richard Curtain.

New York – Verizon is reportedly investigating possible data breaches at two unidentified retailers that use its networking technology. According to the New York Times, law enforcement notified the two retailers of the possible cyber attacks, and they then notified Verizon late in the week of Feb. 17.

Hampstead, Md. – Jos. A. Bank Clothiers Inc. has officially rejected Men’s Wearhouse’s latest $1.78 billion buyout offer. But in yet another twist to the long-running saga between the two companies, in open letter to Men’s Wearhouse president and CEO Douglas S. Ewert, Jos. A. Bank said it is willing to meet with its rival.

Sally Hansen has appointed Madeline Poole as global color ambassador, trend expert and artistic adviser.

Poole will create the nail looks for Sally Hansen's exclusive nail sponsorship with Stella McCartney Collections in 2014. Sally Hansen said that it tapped the up-and-coming nail artist for her expertise in nail color and trends, cool factor, social media following and reputation for creating nail looks with a creative edge.

The Sally Hansen brand will integrate Poole’s designs into its brand advertising, promotion and digital campaigns.  

Jos. A. Bank has officially rejected Men’s Wearhouse’s latest $1.78 billion buyout offer. But in yet another twist to the long-running saga between the two companies, in open letter to Men’s Wearhouse president and CEO Douglas S. Ewert, Jos. A. Bank said it is willing to meet with its rival.

Three years after launching its Let’s Play initiative, Dr Pepper Snapple Group wants to play some more. The company has committed another $11 million to expand its efforts to provide tools, places and inspiration to make active play a daily priority in the lives of kids, families and communities across North America.