Consumer Affairs & Relations

After 37 years with Kroger, Robert Williams is stepping down from his role as SVP of operations in May.

Williams has served in his current role since 2007 and oversees seven of Kroger’s supermarket divisions. His successor was not immediately named.

By Pat Dermody, president, Retale

This is not a lecture about embracing digital. Chances are you have already heard that, read that, maybe even repeated it to yourself. If not, you had better hurry up.

Chicago – Information security firm Trustwave Holdings Inc., which is being sued in connection with the Target Corp. data breach, is denying that it managed data security for Target. In a letter to its business partners and clients, Trustwave CEO Robert McCullen said Trustwave did not monitor the Target data network or process credit card data from the retailer’s customers.

It looks like one year of free credit monitoring has become the new industry standard for retailers looking to placate customers potentially affected by a data breach.

Sally Beauty is the latest retailer to offer free credit monitoring and identity theft protection following reports in early March that the company detected an unauthorized intrusion into its data network.

North Bergen, N.J. -- The Vitamin Shoppe has been recognized as the top-rated vitamin store and top-rated vitamin store brand based on consumer satisfaction in ConsumerLab.com's 2014 survey of vitamin and supplement users. Each year, ConsumerLab.com, a provider of consumer information and independent evaluations of products that affect health and nutrition, surveys its subscribers about the vitamins and supplements they use.

Washington, D.C. -- Consumers opened up their pocketbooks a bit in February, according to figures released Friday by the U.S. Commerce Department. Consumer spending increased 0.3% last month after a downwardly revised gain of 0.2% in January. The February increase was the biggest since November.

Personal income was up 0.3%, matching January's gain. It was the second straight monthly increase.

It’s official. Loblaw has completed its acquisition of Shoppers Drug Mart Corporation, which is now a separate operating division of Loblaw.

"The most successful partnerships are grounded in strengths that complement each other," said Galen G. Weston, executive chairman, Loblaw. "Loblaw and Shoppers Drug Mart are perfect partners. We will drive growth and profitability through our unmatched mix of store formats, products and offerings. This is truly a case of the whole being greater than the sum of its parts."

New York -- H & M, Hennes & Mauritz AB opens its first Hawaii store in Waikiki on March 28. The store features a one-of-a-kind installation featuring artwork of local surf photographers Mike Coots, Sarah Lee and Zak Noyle.

The Waikiki store has hired 160 local employees.