Consumer Affairs & Relations

This year, it seems that you can’t turn on the TV or read the news without seeing that another store is opening on Thanksgiving. Some believe Black Friday is fading away as more retailers choose to open early to compete with other shopping options such as online sales. I don’t think that Black Friday is going away, but I do think that it is evolving to best serve the needs of the consumer. Any retailer that is going to be successful long-term has to evolve, too.

HARRISBURG, Pa. — The Environmental Protection Agency has recognized Ahold USA for its efforts to reduce food waste, the agency said.

The EPA said it recognized Ahold for its contributions to the Food Recovery Challenge, which encourages organizations to donate and divert as much of their excess food as possible, which the agency said helps protect the environment and feed needy people. Ahold USA owns the Giant Food Stores of Carlisle, Pa., Giant Food of Landover, Md., and Stop & Shop supermarket banners, as well as the online grocer Peapod.

Plymouth, Minn. -- The Shareholders Foundation, Inc. has filed a lawsuit on behalf of certain purchasers of Tile Shop common stock over alleged violations of federal securities laws in connection with certain allegedly false and misleading statements made between August 22, 2012 and November 13, 2013. The plaintiff alleges that the defendants failed to disclose that one of its largest suppliers, Beijing Pingxiu, is an undisclosed related company secretly controlled by Fumitake Nishi, the brother-in-law of the company's CEO and a Tile Shop employee.

New York -- Embattled Southern celebrity chef Paula Deen is opening a headquarters and store in Clarence, N.Y., a suburb of Buffalo, this February. The shop, Paula Deen Foods, will include a showroom designed to resemble Deen's home kitchen and offer products from her branded line of goods.

Houston – Jos. A. Bank has officially withdrawn its all-cash bid to purchase Men’s Wearhouse for $48 per share, or about $2.3 billion, after failing to get the retailer to enter into merger talks ahead of a Thursday deadline.

Robert N. Wildrick, chairman of the board of Jos. A. Bank, sent a letter to Men’s Wearhouse CEO Doug Ewert informing him that since Men’s Wearhouse had not engaged in good faith negotiations by a previously stated Nov. 14 deadline, Jos. A. Bank would terminate its proposal.

New York – Patrick F. McGuiness, CFO of Tiffany’s, has resigned his position effective Nov. 27, 2013. James M. Fernandez, 58, executive VP and COO of Tiffany’s, will assume the position of CFO on an interim basis.

Tiffany’s chief financial officer, Patrick F. McGuiness, has resigned his position effective Nov. 27. The company’s EVP and chief operating officer, James Fernandez, will assume the position of CFO on an interim basis.

Fernandez has been with Tiffany’s since 1983. The board of Tiffany’s has authorized a search for a new CFO.

Plymouth, Minn. -- The Tile Shop says it rejects a report stating its historical financial statements may require restatement along with other accounting irregularities. The company denies these allegations and believes that the financial statements are properly stated and its business practices are appropriate.