Consumer Affairs & Relations

NEW YORK --Liz Claiborne said Friday that Edgar Huber, CEO of Juicy Couture, will be assuming a new position as executive VP global business development for Liz Claiborne, effective Feb. 14.

The company said Huber will continue to report to William L. McComb, CEO, Liz Claiborne.

LeAnn Nealz, president and chief creative officer, and John DeFalco, CFO and COO, will jointly manage the Juicy Couture business while the leadership structure for the brand going forward is determined, according to McComb.

Target director of owned brands Annie Zipfel is among those slated to participate in the fourth annual Network of Executive Women Multicultural Work force conference to be held March 1 to 3. With a theme of “Building Competencies, Growing Business,” the event will focus on the advantages of developing culturally competent organizations.

SUNBURY, Pa. — Weis Markets on Thursday reported an 8.7% increase in its fiscal-year 2010 net income to $68.3 million for the 52-week period ended Dec. 25, and said its earnings per share for the year increased 21 cents to $2.54 per share, compared with the same period a year ago.

The central Pennsylvania grocer reported a sales increase of 4.1% for the year to $2.6 billion. Comparable-store sales were up 1%.

Los Angeles -- Ralphs Grocery Co. has pleaded no contest to overcharging customers for prepackaged and weighed products at stores in Los Angeles, according to a Thursday report by the Associated Press.

The grocery chain entered pleas before the case was scheduled to go to trial. The no contest plea was entered for 62 misdemeanor charges, including false advertising, mislabeling and selling items that weigh less than they should.

A sentencing date will be set Thursday.

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Net sales for Spartan Stores slightly declined nearly 0.6% to $782.3 million during the third quarter.

During the quarter, which ended Jan. 1, Spartan also experienced a rise in operating earnings, which increased from $13.7 million in third quarter 2009 to $16.6 million. Third-quarter earnings from continuing operations improved 42% percent to $7.5 million, or 33 cents per diluted share, from $5.3 million, or 23 cents per diluted share.

Woonsocket, R.I. -- CVS Caremark Corp. reported Thursday that profit for the fourth quarter fell 2%. The company cited client losses and fewer Medicare prescription drug program members for the lackluster performance.

Net income declined to $1.03 billion, compared with $1.05 billion in the year-ago period. Revenue fell 4% to $24.77 billion. Wall Street expected $24.98 billion in revenue.

Slowly but surely the headwinds Walmart has faced for years in its domestic expansion efforts have begun to diminish to the point where major victories are now being scored. Two examples stood out this week on opposite sides of the country. The highest profile of these is the situation in New York where it may not seem like Walmart won a victory this week, but it did. Walmart’s entry into the city has been the subject of considerable and heated debate for at least five years, but the situation has come to head in recent months.

CITY OF COMMERCE, Calif. -- Ninety-nine Cents Only Stores reported that retail sales for the third quarter ended Dec. 25 increased by 1.5% to $354.1 million and same-store sales decreased 0.7%.

Consolidated net income increased by $2.1 million to $26.6 million, or 38 cents per diluted share, versus $24.5 million in the prior year, or 35 cents per diluted share