Consumer Affairs & Relations

HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — Frederick's of Hollywood Group has announced that the company and Linda LoRe have mutually agreed that, effective Sept. 2, LoRe will resign both as president and as a member of the board of directors of the company and its subsidiaries.  She will continue her employment through Jan. 20, 2012, and will assist in the orderly transition of her responsibilities to senior members of the company's current management team.

It is hard to overstate the significance of Target’s entry into Canada in terms of the impact it will have on the company’s growth and the marketplace overall. You would have to go back to 1992 and Walmart’s acquisition of 122 Woolco stores to find an event of similar magnitude, and even that deal comes up short compared with Target’s plans to open as many as 150 stores beginning in early 2013.

OAKLAND, Calif. — Cost Plus reported that net sales for the second quarter of fiscal 2011 were $197.9 million, a 3.2% increase compared with $191.8 million for the second quarter of fiscal 2010. Same-store sales for the second quarter of fiscal 2011 increased 2.8% compared with a 6.5% increase for the second quarter last year. The increase in same-store sales for the second quarter was due to an increase in customer count of 5.5% offset by a 2.5% reduction in the average ticket per customer, the company reported.

RIDGELAND, Miss. — Viking Culinary Group announced that it has introduced a new line of branded outdoor grills from celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse.

Products in the Emeril grill line include:

From Gap and Coach to Best Buy and Starbucks, retailers across the board are looking to high-growth emerging markets to expand their business and increase revenues. Not surprisingly, China is a prime -- if not the No. 1 -- target of many retailers.

Picture this setting. The neatly manicured grounds of the spectacular Broadmoor resort are underfoot, the Rocky Mountains are in the background, and the sky above Colorado Springs is a crisp blue. Hundreds of dark-suited senior executives are milling about an early evening reception, sipping wine as white-gloved waiters offer curious looking hors d'oeuvres.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Southeastern discount banner Fred's on Thursday morning reported that the consumer continues to be challenged by economic pressures. "In key markets we continue to see swings in sales [tied to] the payroll cycle," Bruce Efird, Fred's president and CEO, told analysts during a conference call this morning. Efird also reported an increase in government assistance utilization.

Seeing as how the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks falls on the final day of the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship presented by P&G, tournament officials faced the delicate challenge of developing a respectful way to observe the event.

What they came up with was the following: 

Suppliers to Walmart will have plenty of opportunities to hear from Walmart EVP merchandising Duncan Mac Naughton in the months ahead.

First up is Walmart’s annual meeting for financial analysts held each fall and slated for Oct. 11 to 12 this year. An agenda isn’t yet available, but Mac Naughton presumably will be a featured participant, or at least he should be considering Walmart’s ongoing efforts to revive U.S. sales and recent moves Mac Naughton has made to the structure and leadership of the merchandising organization.

New York City -- A survey released Thursday by consumer research firm AlixPartners found that 51% of consumers visit traditional supermarkets for their grocery shopping, while 30% shop mass merchants such as Walmart for groceries. Drug stores pull 5% of grocery shoppers, as do dollar stores.