Corporate Governance

BATTLE CREEK, Mich. — Kellogg plans to debut new snacks, including cereal bars, crackers, crisps and cookies, in 2013.

"We have such a strong line-up of snack brands, including Pringles, Cheez-it, Special K, Keebler and Nutri-Grain," said Alan Gravely, SVP of marketing and innovation for Kellogg Snacks. "So we are building off these brands with new products that reflect our deep understanding of people's evolving taste preferences and nutrition needs."

STAMFORD, Conn. — Nestle Waters North America has named Tim Brown as its new president and CEO. Brown replaces current Nestle Waters North America president and CEO Kim Jeffery, who plans to assume a non-executive chairman position effective Feb. 1, 2013.

Walmart had as much to say about an ongoing and expanding investigation into alleged violations of the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act in its third quarter filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission as it did about its actual financial results.

NEW YORK, N.Y. — Sean John Corporate has named Jeff Tweedy as the fashion brand’s new president, effective immediately. Tweedy will report directly to Sean John chairman and founder Sean "Diddy" Combs, and will be responsible for all aspects of the company's operations, including strategic brand development, design and all the Sean John licensing and retail partners.

Cincinnati -- The Kroger Co. said Thursday it will buy specialty pharmacy company Axium Pharmacy Holdings for undisclosed terms.

Axium is one of the nation's largest independent providers of specialty pharmacy services, offering a range of clinical services to patients with complex chronic conditions. Through its additional pharmacy locations in Puerto Rico, Tennessee and Mississippi, Axium provides comprehensive specialty pharmacy services to patients.

New York -- GameStop plans to close 200 stores by next year, Bloomberg reported.

The closings were announced on a conference call, shortly after the chain reported better-than expected third-quarter results, excluding an impairment charge.

For the third quarter ended Oct. 27, GameStop posted a net loss of $624.3 million after impairment and goodwill costs of $678.8 million, mostly tied to international operations. That’s compared with net income of $53.9 million a year earlier.

York, Pa. -- Bon-Ton Stores narrowed its fiscal third-quarter loss narrowed partly on lower expenses.

For the period ended Oct. 27, Bon-Ton lost $10.1 million, compared with a loss of $22 million a year earlier.

Revenue rose 2% to $668.7 million from $656.1 million. Same-store sales rose 1.9%.

Conshohocken, Pa. – Ikea announced it is submitting plans to the City of Burbank, Calif., for a new and larger store to replace its current location among the Swedish retailer’s presence in the Los Angeles area. The application will mark the beginning of the governmental review process for this proposed relocation.

San Francisco -- Gap Inc. raised its outlook for the year after reporting better-than-expected net income for the third quarter on growing sales. It was the latest sign that the long beleaguered chain may be finally entering a turnaround.

For the three months ended Oct. 27, the company said it earned $308 million, compared with $193 million in the year

Hoffman Estates,Ill. -- Sears Holdings Corp.'s third-quarter loss widened amid declining sales and higher tax expenses.

For the quarter ended Oct. 27, Sears reported a loss of $498 million, compared with a year-earlier loss of $421 million.

Revenue slipped 5.8%, to $8.86 billion, primarily due to the effect of having fewer Kmart and Sears stores in operation and lower domestic comparable store sales for the quarter.