Consumer Affairs & Relations

WASHINGTON — The retail industry won a big victory in Washington, D.C., as the Senate defeated an amendment that proposed to delay swipe-fee reform for another 12 months.

Washington, D.C. -- On Wednesday, the Senate rejected the Tester-Corker amendment to delay swipe-fee reform.

PLEASANTON, Calif. — Safeway is bringing Coinstar's self-service coin-counting kiosks to its U.S. and Canada stores, the supermarket retailer announced Thursday.

Safeway said it agreed to install 1,400 Coinstar kiosks by the end of 2011, with installations slated to begin this month in Safeway stores and its banners, including Vons, Dominick's, Randalls, Tom Thumb, Genuardi's, Pavilions, Carrs and Pak N' Save.

MCKINNEY, Texas — Blockbuster announced that it is rewarding good students with its "Good Grades, Free Rental" program. Children in kindergarten through 12th grade who earn a B average or better on their report cards can head to participating Blockbuster stores nationwide to receive a free, one-day, non-new release movie rental.

Atlanta -- A report released Thursday by First Data Corp. said that consumer spending growth slowed in May as concerns about the economy mounted.

According to the First Data SpendTrend analysis for the full month of May 2011, which tracks same-store consumer spending by credit, signature debit, PIN debit, EBT cards and checks at U.S. merchant locations, year-over-year dollar volume growth slowed to 6.6%, the lowest monthly growth rate in 2011.

MINNEAPOLIS — Target ended last year with sales of $67.4 billion and earnings per share of $4, but if company chairman, president and CEO Gregg Steinhafel has his way, within six or seven years earnings per share will double to $8 and sales will top $100 billion.

Norwalk, Conn. -- Retail chief financial officers (CFOs) of U.S. middle-market companies are becoming more optimistic concerning the state of the industry, according to the latest GE Capital survey of  retail CFOs of companies with revenues ranging from $50 million to $1 billion.

Frank Yiannas, VP food safety and health at Walmart, was named vice chair elect of The Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI), an organization created in 2000 by The Consumer Goods Forum. Yiannas will assume the role of vice chair in February 2012 when current vice chair, Yves Rey, corporate quality general manager, at Danone becomes chairman.