Consumer Affairs & Relations

By Douglas H. Meal, David T. Cohen, and Lisa L. Rachlin, Ropes & Gray LLP

Retailers, like all businesses, constantly seek to learn more about their customers in order to serve them better. In Tyler v. Michaels Stores, however, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court recently ruled that a simple step taken by many retailers to help achieve this goal – collecting the ZIP codes of their customers at the point of sale – can in some circumstances violate Massachusetts’ consumer protection statute.
   

Walmart’s commitment earlier this year to hire 100,000 veterans over the next five years prompted the USO to award Walmart U.S. COO Gisel Ruiz its 2013 Woman of the Year Distinguished Service Award.

Ruiz was presented with the award at the USO’s 47th annual luncheon where she said the honor was humbling and a surprise.

The United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 1500 representing the greater New York area claimed victory over Target this week and offered some harsh words following a ruling by the National Labor Relations Board.

Los Angeles -- Sport Chalet announced it has retained Financial Profiles as its investor relations firm.

"We have a number of important strategic initiatives in place to drive shareholder value and the time is right to step up our investor relations efforts," said Craig Levra, chairman and CFO of Sport Chalet. "We are pleased to collaborate with Financial Profiles to develop and implement a strategic investor relations program designed to build Sport Chalet's visibility within the investment community."

LAKELAND, Fla. — Publix posted first quarter sales of $7.5 billion, representing a 6.1% increase. The Easter holiday in the first quarter of 2013, which was in the second quarter of 2012, increased sales by approximately 1.3%, the grocer noted. 

Comparable-store sales for the first quarter of 2013 increased 3.9%.

Sometimes, to meet consumer demand you have to get creative. That’s what developer Centergy Retail, LLC, Dallas, did in the conceptualization of a hybrid power-lifestyle center in the heart of El Paso, Texas.

One of the few ground-up developments in the U.S., The Fountains at Farah will open October 2013 with 600,000 sq. ft. of best-in-class national junior anchor stores, fashion and name brand retailers, and upscale boutiques, restaurants and retail service uses.

GREENWICH, Conn. — Brynwood Partners’ portfolio company, Pearson Candy Company, has acquired the Bit-O-Honey confectionery brand from Nestle. The acquisition marks the fifth brand Brynwood Partners has acquired from Nestle. Terms and conditions of the transaction were not disclosed.

The Bit-O-Honey national brand has been around for more than 90 years and is available in a variety of formats, which are widely distributed in the U.S. through leading retailers in the food, drug, mass and dollar channels.

New York -- J.C. Penney Co. can continue to sell a line of Martha Stewart home goods it introduced last week under "JCP Everyday" brand pending the outcome of a trial with Macy's, a New York appeals court ruled on Tuesday.
 
The court denied Macy's request for a preliminary injunction blocking sale of the goods while a court battle continues over rights to the products.