Consumer Affairs & Relations

Minneapolis – Target Corp. continues to take steps in response to the holiday data breach that may have exposed the personal and financial data of up to 110 million consumers to hackers. The Wall Street Journal reports that Target shut down remote access to two internal sites in the aftermath of the massive attack.

New York -- Eminence Capital, which owns 4.9% of the common stock of Jos. A. Bank Clothiers and has been pushing for a deal between the retailer and rival Men’s Wearhouse, has nominated two industry veterans for election as directors to the board at Jos. A. Bank's annual meeting. The nominees include: Bruce J. Klatsky, former chairman of Phillips-Van Heusen Corporation, a position he held from 1994 until June 2007, and Norman S. Matthews, former president of Federated Department Stores and active and former board member of other retail and consumer companies.

York, Pa. – The Bon-Ton Stores, Inc. has reached an agreement with the city of Milwaukee to extend the lease for its Boston Store location in The Shops of Grand Avenue, Milwaukee, contingent upon the city providing financial contributions from its downtown Tax Increment Financing district.

Build-A-Bear Workshop has named Gina Collins as chief marketing officer and brand bear. Collins will lead the company’s marketing, public relations, entertainment and creative teams to drive sales growth and profitability.

She will also be responsible for branding, marketing, public relations, creative, licensing and corporate sales and will report to CEO Sharon John.

Hampstead, Md. – The board of directors of Jos. A. Bank Clothiers, Inc. has officially rejected an unsolicited buyout offer from The Men’s Wearhouse. The offer, which expires March 28, 2014, is worth $57.50 per share, or about $1.6 billion.

Jos. A. Bank called the offer “inadequate and opportunistic” in announcing its rejection.

The Federal Trade Commission has granted Kroger and Harris Teeter Supermarkets early termination of the waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976 with respect to the pending merger transaction between the two companies.
 
The early termination of the HSR waiting period satisfies one of the conditions to the closing of the pending merger, which remains subject to other customary closing conditions. Both companies expect the transaction to be completed before the end of January.

St. Louis - Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc. has appointed Gina Collins to the position of chief marketing officer, effective Jan. 20, 2014. Collins will lead the Build-A-Bear marketing, public relations, entertainment and creative teams to drive sales growth and profitability.

She will be responsible for branding, marketing, public relations, creative, licensing and corporate sales and will report to Sharon John, CEO of Build-A-Bear Workshop.

The back and forth between Jos. A. Banks and Men’s Wearhouse continues. This time the shoe is on Jos. A. Banks’ foot, as the company’s board of directors officially rejected an unsolicited buyout offer from the Men’s Wearhouse.

Jos. A. Bank called the offer, which expires March 28, 2014, and is worth $57.50 per share, or about $1.6 billion, “inadequate and opportunistic.”