Consumer Affairs & Relations

The retail world will lose one of its most colorful and respected CEOs when Costco Wholesale Club co-founder and chief executive Jim Sinegal steps down on January 1, 2012. Among retailers, Sinegal stands out for offering proof positive that a business could be good to its employees and customers and still make a hefty profit.

MOORESVILLE, N.C. — Lowe's pledged $1 million to disaster relief and rebuilding efforts in communities affected by Hurricane Irene.

“This has been a record-setting year for disasters across the country, and Lowe’s will continue to provide funding, supplies and volunteers whenever possible," said Robert A. Niblock, Lowe’s chairman, president and CEO.

Issaquah, Wash. -- Jim Sinegal, the much-admired CEO and co-founder of Costco Wholesale Corp., plans to step down effective Jan. 1. The chain said its board has elected the company's current president and COO, Craig Jelinek, to succeed Sinegal.

“Costco has a very strong culture and a deep bench of management talent," said Sinegal. "I have total confidence in Craig's ability to handle his new responsibilities and feel we are fortunate as a company to have an executive of his caliber to succeed me as chief executive of Costco."

DALLAS — While Zale Corp. posted a nearly 10% comps increase for its fourth quarter, higher commodity costs lead to a wider net loss for the period. The company stands to gain even more in the way of sales, with additional financing options for its customers.

Washington, D.C. -- A report released Tuesday by the Conference Board said that confidence among U.S. consumers sunk to a two-year low in August, as Americans faced continued unemployment woes and worsening business and economic conditions.

The Conference Board’s index plunged to 44.5, the weakest since April 2009 and the biggest point drop since October 2008. Economists predicted the August gauge would fall to 52, according to the median forecast in a Bloomberg News survey.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Inflationary increases, sales growth at remodeled stores and a boost from fuelperks! helped drive up Winn-Dixie's second quarter identical-store sales, while net sales dipped.

According to Winn-Dixie's chief Peter Lynch, Winn-Dixie is riding a strong headwind into fiscal 2012 powered by a number of influencers — a marketing program that better sustains margins, its loyalty program Fuelperks!, an improved stocking system and a significant focus on improving the customer experience.

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.

BOCA RATON, Fla. — The small business customer may have a greater reason to visit Office Depot now that the retailer has expanded its shredding and secure document archiving service program through a new partnership with information management company, Iron Mountain.