Consumer Affairs & Relations

New York -- Saks Fifth Avenue announced that it plans to close its Saks Fifth Avenue store in the Shops at Riverside in Hackensack, N.J. The store is expected to close in late 2014.   “Closing a location is never an easy business decision. At this time, we are committed to offering support and assistance to our team affected by the closing,” commented Marigay McKee, President of Saks Fifth Avenue.

New York -- At least 47% of U.S. merchant terminals will be enabled for EMV chip technology by the end of 2015, according to the Payments Security Task Force (PST). The estimates are based on forecasts provided by acquirers representing approximately 80% of U.S. purchase volume.  

President Barack Obama has taken heat over his use of executive orders, but that wasn’t the case on Friday when retail trade groups lined up behind the president in support of wide ranging data security measures.

Washington -- As part of an executive order unveiled on Friday, President Obama set a new policy that requires newly issued and existing government credit and debit cards to be enabled with chip and personal identification number (PIN) technology.  

Livingston, N.J. -- The Fresh Market celebrated its official opening at The Village At Livingston with “cracking the parmesan,” a centuries-old art and company tradition. The store, which occupies 23,000 sq.ft  at the 93,000-sq.-ft. shopping center managed and developed by Eastman Companies, marks the upscale specialty grocer’s third location in New Jersey.  

San Jose, Calif. -– EBay Inc. beat Wall Street estimates with its third quarter revenue results but lowered its forecast for full-year sales due to the impact of a May 2014 security breach. Net income fell 2% to $673 million from $689 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2013.  

Branded packaged food supplier B&G Foods elevated EVP and CFO Robert Cantwell to the role of CEO effective Jan. 1.

Cantwell, 57, a long time B&G employee, succeeds David Wenner, 64, in the top job following Wenner’s decision earlier this year to retire. Wenner will remain on the board and the company has begun a search for a new CFO.

San Francisco –- Gap Inc. has approved a new $500 million share repurchase authorization for the company’s common stock, in an effort to return excess cash to shareholders. The new $500 million repurchase program for Gap’s stock follows the company’s previous $1 billion share repurchase program.