Trading Partners

NEW YORK — It’s looking like Walmart’s upcoming annual meeting is going to be a bittersweet affair as the company observes its 50th anniversary against the backdrop of an unfolding Mexican bribery scandal and an appeal from a major shareholder this week urging a no vote on five board members.

New York -- Walgreen Co. said Thursday that same-store sales slipped a worse-than-expected 6.4% in April, largely due to its split with pharmacy benefits manager Express Scripts Inc.

For April, Walgreens’ same-store pharmacy sales were down 8.9%. Front-end sales fell 2.2%

At April 30, Walgreens operated 8,307 locations in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and Guam

WASHINGTON — The National Retail Federation is responding to a report from the Federal Reserve, which revealed that debit card swipe fees collected by the nation's largest banks have significantly dropped since reform regulations took effect last fall.

SUFFERN, N.Y. — The Ascena Retail Group will acquire Charming Shoppes Inc., parent company of Lane Bryant, for about $890 million.

The move gives Ascena -- which owns the Dressbarn, Maurices and Justice chains -- entry to the steadily-growing large-size women's clothing market. In addition to Lane Bryant, Charming Shoppes also owns the Fashion Bug and Catherines Plus Sizes banners. It operates more than 1,800 stores nationwide. In 2011, nearly 85% of Charming Shoppes’ sales involved plus-sized apparel.

Retailers are in business to sell products customers want, except when they’re not, which appears to be the case with the retailer’s decision to stop selling Amazon.com’s hugely popular Kindle devices.

Target has done quite well for itself in California, but that doesn’t mean it’s been easy. Ironically, the state with the most extensive network of Target stores also happens to be the one identified as the worst state in which to do business, according to a recent survey.

Brampton, Ontario -- Canadian grocery chain Loblaw Cos. reported Wednesday that net income for the first quarter plummeted 22% to $128 million, compared with $156 million in the year-ago period. The country’s largest food retailer was squeezed by higher costs and heightened competition as Wal-Mart Stores continues its march into Loblaw territories.

Revenues for the quarter edged up .9% to $7.02 billion. Same-store sales dipped 0.7%.

As one of the oldest REITs in existence today, Federal Realty Investment Trust has every right to send up some fireworks over reaching the 50-year mark this year.

The Rockville, Md.-based real estate company was established in 1962 with three properties in the metropolitan Washington, D.C., area, including Congressional Plaza (shown here, both then and now). Today, Federal Realty’s portfolio comprises about 19.3 million sq. ft. primarily in its core base of the northeastern and Mid-Atlantic U.S., as well as in California.