Marketing

The economic recovery may be on an uneven track, but consumers are still willing to spend money – at Whole Foods Market especially.

Eugene Fife is the newest member of the Office Depot board.

The office products retailer added Fife to the board after James Rubin stepped down. Rubin was required to give up his seat because of a stipulation in an investor rights agreement Office Depot struck with BC Partners in 2009 that gave the firm three board seats after it made a sizable investment. The agreement required BC Partners board members to be employed by the firm and because Rubin recently resigned from BC Partners he was no longer allowed to serve on the Office Depot board.

MALIBU, Calif. — Jakks Pacific has acquired Ohio-based Maui Inc., a manufacturer and distributor of spring and summer activity toys, outdoor sports related toys, impulse toys including the popular Wave Hoop and Sky Ball products under the Maui Toys brand.

Jakks Pacific has acquired all of the shares of stock of Maui, a 24-year-old, privately held company, and its Hong Kong based affiliate A.S. Design Limited. The business is comprised of proprietary non-licensed brands.

SIDNEY, Neb. — Revenues rose 11.6% to $627.3 million at Cabela's during its second quarter, consisting of a 16.9% increase in store revenue, a 0.7% decrease in direct revenue and a 12.8% increase in financial services revenue. Same-store sales rose 4.7%.

Net income for the quarterr increased to $33.9 million compared with $21.7 million and earnings per diluted share were 47 cents compared with 31 cents, each compared with the year ago quarter.

NEW YORK — Saks Inc. has named Fabiola Arredondo to its board of directors.

The Polaroid company may have went through its share of financial difficulties, but there is plenty of equity left in the brand name and Walmart’s Asda unit is looking to capitalize on it this month with a new line of consumer electronics.

Asda this week began offering an exclusive range of CE items including televisions, media players and audio equipment under the Polaroid brand.

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Shopko has hired a long-time retail marketing executive, with extensive experience in the beauty and apparel sectors, to help develop the Shopko brand as it moves forward with the conversion of its newly acquired Pamida stores to the Shopko Hometown format.

Assessing the strength of the American consumer has become something of a national past time, especially during an election year. And as conflicting data points paint a picture of a lumpy economic recovery both presidential candidates can find something in retailers’ sales results that lend credence to their arguments.

New York -- Fifth and Pacific Cos. reported Thursday that it narrowed its loss in the second quarter to $52.1 million, compared with a loss of $89.9 million in the same period last year.  Results, which beat Wall Street expectations, were boosted by strong sales from the Kate Spade and Lucky Brand banners.

The company that was formerly known as Liz Claiborne Inc. saw net sales fall 6.5% to $336.9 million in the quarter, which still beat analysts’ forecasted $330.8 million.

Brentwood, Tenn. -- Farm and ranch store chain Tractor Supply Co. reported Wednesday that net income for the second quarter rose 17% to $106.6 million, compared with $91.2 million in the same period last year.

Sales increased 9.6% to $1.29 billion, just missing Wall Street’s expected $1.30 billion in sales.