Corporate Responsibility

PASADENA, Calif. — Avery Dennison Corporation’s first-quarter 2013 results were in line with its expectations, according to chairman, president and CEO Dean Scarborough.

The company’s total net sales for the quarter were $1.5 billion, an increase of 4% from $1.4 billion for the same quarter a year ago. Net sales adjusted to exclude the estimated impact of currency translation, product line exits, acquisitions and divestitures increased 4%. 

ELK GROVE VILLAGE, Ill. — Topco Associates has appointed Danell O’Neill as the company's director of corporate communications. She will report directly to president and CEO Randy Skoda.

San Francisco -- Although most of the 16 electronics retailers scored by the Electronics TakeBack Coalition received an “F” grade, three companies – Staples, Best Buy and Office Depot – were deemed to have effective recycling programs.

More than half of the retailers failed the Coalition’s assessment, including Walmart, Amazon, Costco, Sam’s Club and Sears.

New York -- Forbes reported that CVS has opted not to sell the latest edition of Rolling Stone magazine, which features a photo of “Boston Bomber” Dzhokhar Tsarnaev on its cover.

Seattle – Twelve deaf consumers are suing Starbucks over what they claim was harassment at the hands of employees of a lower Manhattan Starbucks store on March 7, 2013.

New York -- Fashion designer and retailer Kenneth Cole is partnering with the Tony Award-winning musical Kinky Boots on the launch of a limited-edition capsule shoe collection arriving in stores for the holiday season.

To promote the launch, a designated area in front of the Al Hirschfeld Theatre (302 West 45th Street in Manhattan) will encourage passersby to try and win a pair of Kinky Boots tickets by following @kennethcoleprd and @kinkybootsbway and Instagraming a photo of their "kinky" shoes using #KCKinkyboots.

CHICAGO — Cargill, an international producer and marketer of food, agricultural, financial and industrial products and services, has unveiled an assessment tool that identifies, prioritizes and quantifies risks and opportunities in its supply chains so improvements can be made to them.

Boca Raton, Fla. – Office Depot is launching a new online school supplies checklist that allows teachers to build, store and share checklists of required school supplies through an online platform. Teachers can use a starter list with recommended supplies by grade level or customize their own checklist to share with parents, allowing them to make purchases directly from the website or print the list for in-store shopping.

A Walmart employee in Canada was fired this week after confronting a customer who left a dog in a truck, according to a television report out of Ontario.

Toano, Va. – Lumber Liquidators is launching a blog designed to promote the retailer’s “Lay It Forward” philanthropic program. The blog will share inspirational stories of the various charitable organizations Lumber Liquidators supports through Lay It Forward and also allow visitors to make donations.