Strategy

New York -- Target Corp. will soon join the ranks of retailers who are no longer reporting monthly same-store sales. The discounter on Thursday said it will no longer report comparable sales, beginning in fiscal 2013.

New York -- Three female employees of Wal-Mart Stores Inc. filed a lawsuit Thursday in federal court in South Florida claiming the company discriminates against women in areas such as wages and promotion opportunities, the Associated Press reported.

The potential class-action lawsuit follows similar lawsuits recently filed in Tennessee, Texas and California. It also follows a 2011 U.S. Supreme Court decision that tossed out a national gender bias lawsuit seeking to represent some 1.6 million female Wal-Mart workers.

Cincinnati -- The Kroger Co. has received the Alliance to Save Energy’s top award, the “Galaxy” Star of Energy Efficiency.

Houston -- Starbucks Coffee Co. founder and CEO Howard Schultz said his company plans to add 1,000 stores in the U.S. in the next five years, according to a Bloomberg report.

New York -- Costco Wholesale Corp. reported a better-than-expected 6% rise in September same-store sales, helped by higher gasoline prices and a stronger dollar. Excluding the impact of gasoline prices and foreign exchange, comparable September same-store sales rose 5%.

Net sales rose 8% to $9.31 billion in the five weeks ended Sept. 30. Costco, which currently operates 608 warehouses, said it plans to open up to 14 new warehouses prior to the end of calendar year 2012.

New York -- The Wet Seal Inc. encouraged its shareholders on Wednesday to reject efforts by its third-largest investor, Clinton Group, to gain control of the board, Reuters reported. The company's board has eight seats, of which one is vacant.

Clinton, which holds approximately 7% of Wet Seal, said retailer earlier in the day backtracked on an offer, made via an investment banker, for four directors to resign in exchange for the activist investor ending its move, according to the report.

Li Ning, one of China’s largest marketers of sports apparel, footwear and equipment, has opened a flagship in Beijing with a bold design that  uses the theme of motion to attract and engage shoppers. A strong angular grid pattern is present throughout the store—in the ceilings, lighting and floor pattern — that creates an impression of non-stop movement. The theme is most visible on the sweeping lines of the four-story façade, which features a massive banner with changeable imagery.

FOOTHILL RANCH, Calif. — The Wet Seal reported that total sales declined 9.9% to $48.3 million for the month of September. Comparable-store sales fell 12.7% compared with same-store sales that were essentially flat last year.

E-commerce sales, which increased 15% for the month, were a bright spot for the company.

NEW YORK — JCPenney has partnered with baby retailer Giggle to launch specialty shops in more than 500 JCPenney shops. 

Branded as giggleBABY, the new baby ships will open in fall 2013 and feature nursery, gear, layette, bedding, toys, and gifts. An expanded selection of giggleBABY products will be available on JCP.com.

FREMONT, Calif. — Men's Wearhouse is partnering with The Knot Wedding Network, a popular wedding resource, to become the tuxedo provider of choice on TheKnot.com. 

Through the exclusive arrangement, brides-to-be will have the opportunity to view and interact with Men's Wearhouse brand-name tuxedo merchandise at an early stage of the wedding planning process.