Strategy

Washington, D.C. - The National Retail Federation (NRF) has asked an appeals court to uphold a judge’s ruling that the Federal Reserve set its cap on debit card swipe fees far higher than intended by Congress and that the cap needs to be recalculated at a lower level.

Dallas -- Corner Bakery Cafe rounded out 2013 with a multi-unit restaurant development agreement and plans to open eight new restaurants in the Sacramento area with new franchise partner East Bay Restaurants, Pleasanton, Calif.

East Bay Restaurants, which owns and operates 48 Burger King and seven Taco Bell restaurants, plans to open its first cafe in 2014 and the remaining sites over the next five years.

Overstock.com has reason to celebrate after a district court in Salt Lake City, Utah, ruled in the online retailer’s favor, denying breach of contract and other claims for damages of $1.7 million.

The company said that in Haddadin v. Overstock, two brothers asserted they were entitled to damages of $1.7 million, plus future royalties, when the it contracted with Ed and Ayman Haddadin for the creation of an auto sales store on the e-tailer's website.

Estée Lauder has named Jane Lauder as global brand president of Clinique. Succeeding Lauder will be Stephane de la Faverie, who has been named SVP/global general manager, Origins, Ojon and Darphin. Their new roles will become effective April 1.

Both Lauder and de la Faverie will report to Lynne Greene, group president of Clinique, Origins, Ojon, Aveda and Darphin. As announced in 2012, Greene was promoted to group president as part of an organizational redesign.

New York -- Target Corp. has signed a lease to open a 20,000-sq.-ft. location in Minneapolis that will serve as a test of a new format called TargetExpress, the New York Times reported. The new unit, considerably smaller than CityTarget’s 80,000- to 125,000-sq.-ft. footprint, would be the chain’s smallest store to date.

Leading beauty products manufacturer Elizabeth Arden is the latest company to cite an intensely promotional marketplace as the reason for worse-than-expected holiday season sales and profits.

The company said sales for its second quarter ended Dec. 31, would be in the range of $414 to $418 million and earnings per share would be between $1.13 and $1.16, substantially below sales of $468 million and earnings of $1.47 during the same period the prior year.

Minneapolis – Target plans to open a new store in Liberty Township, Ohio, in October 2014. The 130,000-sq.-ft. store will offer a selection of fresh produce, fresh packaged meat and pre-packaged baked goods, as well as a Starbucks and a Target Pharmacy.

New York – Neiman Marcus reportedly first experienced a data security breach in July 2013 and did not fully resolve the issue until Sunday, Jan. 12, 2014. According to the New York Times, in a private call with credit card companies held Monday, Jan. 13, the time stamp on the first breach indicates it took place in mid-July.