Consumer Affairs & Relations

SALISBURY, N.C. — Food Lion announced that this year's fundraising campaign to benefit Children's Miracle Network Hospitals totaled $4.2 million.

This year's donation represents a 43% increase over last year, Food Lion said. The supermarket chain, which has supported CMN Hospitals since 1991, has raised more than $40 million for the organization.

Seattle -- Starbucks Corp.’s fiscal fourth-quarter profit jumped nearly 29%, beating Wall Street estimates on strong sales around the globe. The company earned $358.5 million in the quarter, up from $278.9 million last year. Revenue rose 7% to $3 billion, with some benefit from foreign exchange rates. Same-store sales increased 9%, with a 10% rise in the United States.

Columbus, Ohio -- Limited Brands, parent to Victoria's Secret, Pink, Bath & Body Works, La Senza and Henri Bendel, said Thursday it will buy back up to $250 million of its shares.

The new share repurchase program follows the completion of a $500 million share repurchase program. So far this year, Limited has repurchased $1.1 billion worth of its stock.
 

LOS ANGELES — Food 4 Less and Ralphs Grocery announced that they are inviting customers to help support local food banks and families in need through a special fund-raising campaign that kicks off Nov. 6. In addition, Food 4 Less' Foods Co Division is also collecting donations for food banks in Central and Northern California.

Economists may be feeling good after a government report that showed third-quarter GDP grew at 2.5%, but try telling millions of Americans who shop at Walmart stores at 12:01 a.m. on the first of the month that the nation is no longer in a recession.

Woonsocket, R.I. -- CVS Caremark Corp.’s third-quarter profit rose 7.3%, to $868 million, driven by strong performances in its pharmacy businesses. Its performance topped Wall Street expectations.

Revenue for the three-month period ended September 30, 2011, rose 12% to $26.67 billion, from $23.71 billion.

Revenue in its pharmacy-services segment increased 26% $14.8 billion, boosted by a contract with Aetna Inc. and added business from the acquisition of Universal American Corp.'s Medicare prescription drug business.

Arlington, Va. -- The Retail Industry Leaders Association, along with 125 business groups and employers nationwide, on Wednesday asked the Congressional Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction to include in their recommendations to the House and Senate a provision that would close the online sales tax loophole that is harming brick-and-mortar retail businesses and the communities they serve.

Seattle -- New York City, Washington, D.C., San Francisco and Seattle, top the list of the strongest retail real estate markets, according to Colliers International’s “Third Quarter 2011 North American Retail Highlights” report. The weakest markets include Phoenix, Detroit, Atlanta and Las Vegas, which continue to experience vacancy rates at or above 15%.