Strategy

Wal-Mart Stores said it would offer better financial education and investment options to its associates, following its agreement, along with Merill Lynch, to pay a total of $13.5 million to settle a long-running class-action lawsuit alleging the retailer and its retirement plan administrator breached their fiduciary duty toward nearly 2 million past and present Walmart workers in the company’s 401(k) plan, Forbes.com reported.

Houston -- ATM owner Cardtronics said Thursday it has forged a long-term agreement in Puerto Rico with National Lumber & Hardware to install ATMs at 38 locations for the home improvement and interior design retailer.

National Lumber & Hardware is a division of Pitusa, the island’s largest Puerto Rico-based retailer.

MINNEAPOLIS — While its impossible to compare Walmart's monthly performance with Target's, as Walmart no longer provides monthly sales, it can be assumed that Target's less-than-impressive comps increase was affected by stiff Black Friday competition.

Washington, D.C. -- A report released Thursday said that consumer confidence in the U.S. was little changed for a second week, holding at a level typically reached during past recessions.

The Bloomberg Consumer Comfort Index was at minus 50.3 in the period ended Dec. 4, after a reading of minus 50.2 the prior week. The gauge has been at minus 50 or worse for 11 of the past 12 weeks.

Paris -- Gap Inc. announced Thursday the opening of its first Banana Republic store in France, located in Paris on Avenue des Champs Élysées.

The 15,952-sq.-ft. space will house the brand’s women’s and men’s collections. “We are thrilled to open our first Banana Republic store in France -- a brand-building flagship in Paris -- and reach yet another important milestone for our international growth strategy,” said Stephen Sunnucks, president, International, Gap Inc.

Well, another Black Friday has come and gone. And, much to the surprise of many (myself included), it did so with a bang. General consensus is that the Black Friday sales bonanza was a rousing success, and the numbers certainly support that: ShopperTrak reported that Black Friday sales increased 6.6% over the 2010 numbers, with a record-breaking $11.4 billion in purchases. More people were out and about — foot traffic reports show an increase of about 5% over last year, which is good news for the brick and mortar guys.

NEW YORK — NYSW Beverage Brands has named Amir J. Daibes, P.E., the new president and part owner of the company. Daibes joined the New York-based bottled water company after more than 30 years in the engineering, manufacturing and construction industry.

“This is an exciting, young company positioned for growth with great products and tremendous potential in the marketplace,” Daibes said.  “I am honored to be part of the team, and look forward to building its brands and footprint.

New York City -- Barnes & Noble said Thursday it has earned the top rating of 100% for the fourth year in a row in the 2012 Corporate Equality Index, an annual survey administered by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation.

Barnes & Noble joins the ranks of 190 other major U.S. businesses, which received top marks for their treatment of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender employees and consumers.