Consumer Affairs & Relations

CINCINNATI — Paul Varga, chairman and CEO of Brown-Forman Corp., has been elected to the Macys Inc. board of directors.

NEW YORK — Fortune has released its 2012 list of the most admired companies, and it should come as no surprise that Apple topped the list. Even with the passing of Steve Jobs, the company didn't miss a beat delivering products that are still in high demand, increasing sales and delivering soaring profits for its investors.

Also on the list were a number of retailers including third-ranked Amazon.com, 20th-ranked Costco Wholesale, 24th-ranked Wal-Mart Stores, 25th-ranked Target, 28th-ranked Whole Foods Market and 41st ranked eBay.

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. — Former Sony Electronics executive, Steve Haber, is joining Sears Holdings as SVP and president, home appliances. 

In his new role with Sears Holdings, Haber will lead the company's effort to continue driving profitable growth in its industry-leading appliance business.

ARLINGTON, Va. — The Food Marketing Institute on Thursday named Hannah Walker director of government relations to represent food retailers on Capitol Hill.

Bentonville, Ark. -- A state attorney for California said Wednesday that Wal-Mart has agreed to pay a $2.1 million penalty for overcharging customers in the state.

Wal-Mart is being penalized for charging prices higher than those posted, violating a 2008 judgment for it to halt the overcharging.

WASHINGTON — The National Retail Federation has named Ellen Davis SVP and executive director of the NRF Foundation, the education and research arm of NRF.

All retailers want to be perceived as great places to work and build a career as it aids in recruitment and retention of employees in an industry where costs associated with notoriously high rates of turnover cause a drag on performance.

WABAN, Mass. — There most be something to that REDcard Rewards program. Target this week was among the companies with the most loyal customers, according to a new study by Temkin Group. The report, "2012 Temkin Loyalty Ratings," rated the loyalty that consumers have to 206 large companies across 18 industries.

Target with a rating of 59%, ranked No. 8 on the list. Sam's Club earned the top spot with a loyalty rating of 65%.

Target announced completion of a $10 billion share repurchase program this week and reminded investors of its commitment to more than double its annual dividend payment to $3 by 2017. Too bad Apple announced the same day it would begin paying its first ever quarterly dividend of $2.65 later this year.

Minneapolis -- Best Buy Co. said Wednesday that the U.S. District Court has dismissed putative securities fraud class actions against the retailer and three of its officers.

With regard to the class action lawsuit filed last year, the court on Tuesday dismissed all counts for lack of substantiation.