Strategy

New York City -- Abercrombie & Fitch Co. was ordered by U.S. District Judge Gary Feinerman in Chicago to answer a class-action lawsuit by shoppers who claimed the retailer voided holiday gift cards that said they had "no expiration date," Reuters reported.

In December 2009, Abercrombie ran a promotion in which it issued nearly 200,000 gift cards valued at $25 each to shoppers who spent at least $100 on a single purchase.

Staten Island, N.Y. -- Celerant Technology has acquired CAM Commerce Solutions, a subsidiary of Robertson Piper Software Group (RPSG) and a well-known East Coast-based retail software provider. CAM provides services for small to mid-size retailers across a variety of vertical markets.

New York -- Women’s apparel retailer Maurices plans to open approximately 60 stores this year, according to the Duluth News Tribune. The total includes the chain’s first international location, in Canada.

Maurices currently has 803 stores in 44 states, with the count up 32 stores since June.
 

Walmart president and CEO Mike Duke frequently asserts no other global retailer is better positioned than Walmart, and it is easy to see why he holds that view especially when compared with the situation at the world’s second largest retailer.

Seattle -- Starbucks will open its largest location in Europe, in the center of Amsterdam, on March 9. The 4,500-sq.-ft. store is located in the vault of the historic Amsterdamsche Bank, a landmark building on Amsterdam’s famous Rembrandt Square.

UTRECHT, Netherlands — Sara Lee Corp. has appointed Luc Volatier as SVP supply chain and operations of its international coffee and tea business effective April 1.  Volatier, 44, will be in charge of all procurement, supply chain and manufacturing operations. He will continue to serve in the same role once the international coffee and tea business is spun-off from Sara Lee Corp. in the first half of 2012.

Sacramento, Calif. -- Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market opened its first two stores in the Sacramento region.

Three additional locations are scheduled to open next week on March 14.

In total, Fresh & Easy will open five stores in the region this month, creating more than 150 new jobs.
 

Target has some ambitious growth plans for the next five years, and to help suppliers participate in that growth Retailing Today has partnered with the consulting firm Sales Is Not Simple to host a unique event on April 26 in downtown Minneapolis.