Consumer Affairs & Relations

Grocer Harris Teeter credited its pricing and promotional strategies for driving unit sales and customer visits, which led to increased net and same-store sales for fiscal 2013.

For fiscal 2013, sales rose 3.8% to $4.71 billion from $4.54 billion in the year-ago period. Same-store sales for the year increased 2.23%.

Hampstead, Md. -- Jos. A. Bank Clothiers said that it will consider increasing its $2.3 billion buyout offer for Men's Wearhouse. The retailer also said that it would drop its proposal in two week if Men's Wearhouse did not enter into discussions.

 In a letter sent to Men's Wearhouse CEO Douglas Ewert, Jos. A. Bank chairman Robert Wildrick said that if the talks are not held by that date it will pull its offer so that it can consider other strategic options that it has been investigating.

Revlon has appointed former Colomer Group executive Lorenzo Delpani as the company’s president and CEO.

Delpani replaces David Kennedy, who served briefly as Revlon’s interim CEO since the recent departure of CEO Alan Ennis, who left the company to “pursue other interests.” Kennedy will continue to serve as Revlon’s vice chairman.

Seattle -- Starbucks Coffee Company on Wednesday reported a better-then-expected 34% rise in its fiscal fourth-quarter and raised its quarterly dividend 24%. The company earned $481.1 million, up from $359 million a year ago.

Total net revenues increased 13% to $3.8 billion, just short of expectations.

Global same-store sales increased 7%, driven by a 5% increase in traffic. Same-store sales were up 8% in the United States and the Americas and 8% in China/Asia Pacific region.

New York -- Lululemon has named Tara Poseley as chief product officer. She most recently served as president of Kmart Apparel, where she was responsible for the launch of several new product collections to attract a younger and multi-cultural customer.

Previously, she held the position of interim president at Bebe Stores, president of Disney Stores North America (The Children’s Place) and CEO of Design Within Reach (DWR).

In her role at Lululemon, Poseley will oversee the company’s global merchandising and design strategy.

By James McCandless and Kenneth Katz,  X Team International

The recent government shutdown has analysts scrambling to determine how much damage was done to the national economy. From a retail perspective, understanding the scale and scope of the shutdown requires a more thorough understanding of the issues at play; including a closer look at how retailers responded and a breakdown of how the lingering effects of the partial government closure may impact the holiday sales season.

The ripple effect on retail

Salisbury, N.C. -- Bottom Dollar Food will open two new stores on Thursday, Oct. 31, one in the Germantown neighborhood of Philadelphia, and one in Ambler, Pa., bringing the market total for the discount grocery chain to 43 stores.

The two new stores add approximately 100 jobs to the greater Philadelphia economy. With the addition of the two new locations, Bottom Dollar Food now operates 62 stores in New Jersey, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. Each store is approximately 18,000 sq. ft.

Crossmark has appointed former GlaxoSmithKline executive Janet Carter-Smith as VP of business development.

In her role, Carter-Smith will be focused on working with new client opportunities across Crossmark’s portfolio of services.

New York -- The attorney general of the state of New York is investigating Macy's and Barneys following complaints from black customers that they were stopped by police after making expensive luxury purchases, according to the New York Daily News. The local New York media has dubbed the practice “shop-and-frisk.”

New York -- Consumer confidence fell sharply in October, according to The Conference Board, whose monthly consumer confidence measure dropped to 71.2 in October, down from 80.2 in September. Economists had expected a reading of 75.0 in October.

The Present Situation Index decreased to 70.7 from 73.5.The Expectations Index fell to 71.5 from 84.7 last month.