Corporate Governance

New York -- Wal-Mart Stores’ ongoing investigation into bribery allegations was thrust into the spotlight again on Monday after the New York Times ran a lengthy piece detailing how an elaborate series of payments accelerated construction of a controversial store in Mexico City.

February 2013 promises to be an interesting month at Best Buy following the retailer’s decision to extend the timeframe for company founder and former chairman Richard Schulze to submit a potential buyout offer.

Schulze will have the entire month of February to present an offer and then the board will review the offer within 30 days to determine if it is in the best interests of shareholders.

TORONTO — Sears held a National Great Day event Saturday, December 15, at stores across Canada to help generate customer traffic and reward shoppers.

Boston-based private equity firm Berkshire Partners named Staples president and COO Mike Miles to the role of advisory director.

Miles spent the past decade at Staples and his last day will be February 2, 2013. In his new capacity at Berkshire, Miles is tasked with sourcing new investment ideas and serving as an operating advisor to Berkshire’s portfolio of companies.

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — Former Kellogg Company executive Carlos Canals has joined Ciao Bella as CEO.

Ciao Bella is a gelato and sorbet brand that recently added Greek frozen yogurt to its dessert lineup.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Target is teaming up with the United Way for the 22nd consecutive year to bring families in need some holiday cheer.

Target stores across the country will donate more than $200,000 worth of holiday trees to the charitable organization, as part of the Target Share-a-Tree Program. The United Way and its volunteers will distribute the trees to families in need, shelters, community centers and childcare programs.

ATLANTA — Dollar General is teaming up with InComm, a prepaid product and transaction services provider, to make life easier for online gamers.

Dollar General will offer Microsoft Xbox LIVE via PIN-on-receipt delivery across its network of more than 10,000 stores, making it easier for consumers to purchase Xbox LIVE points and Xbox LIVE Gold Memberships directly at the register, through InComm's recently launched Digital Delivery Application.

Anxiety over Amazon.com is at an all time high this holiday season and a top executive at Nordstrom shared insights recently on competing successfully.

LOS ANGELES — Blake Mycoskie, founder of the Toms shoe brand, has donated 100% of the proceeds from his bestselling book “Start Something That Matters.”

Mycoskie has established the Start Something That Matters Foundation with the book’s proceeds, approximately $300,000, to benefit social entrepreneurs and students around the world. The first three recipient organizations of the new fund are the Dell Social Innovation Challenge, Echoing Green and GOOD.is.

The Saatchi & Saatchi X division of the Publicis Groupe named three new executives focused on digital media.

Springdale, AR.-based Saatchi & Saatchi X said it hired Alan Segal as digital creative director, Brandon Viveiros as digital production director and Chance Chapman as senior digital strategist.