Corporate Governance

By Chris Merritt, Ryder

Natural disasters like Hurricane Sandy are devastating. They impact people’s lives and livelihood. In addition, as we’ve learned from recent years, they can result in significant supply chain disruptions. Following the storm, we are seeing three issues impacting retail supply chains – power, fuel, and people.

ISSAQUAH, Wash. — Costco's sales for October rose 9% to $7.67 billion from $7.01 billion during the similar period last year.

Total comps for the month increased 7%, consisting of a 7% increase in the United States, and a 9% increase internationally. Excluding the impact of fuel, U.S., international and total same-store sales increased by 5% each.

BURLINGTON, N.J. — Burlington Coat Factory Warehouse reported that net sales for the third quarter ended Oct. 27 were $967.8 million compared with $898.7 million for the comparative period ended Oct. 29, 2011, a 7.7% increase. Comparative-store sales increased 2.1% for the quarter.

A 2.4% same-store sales increase during October was toward the low end of Target’s expectations, but it wasn’t enough to prevent the company from achieving its guidance for the third quarter.

Target reported that its net retail sales for the four weeks ended Oct. 27 were nearly $5 billion, a 3% increase from $4.8 billion reported during October 2011. The 2.4% comp increase was on top of a prior year gain of 3.3%.

BENTONVILLE, Ark. — Walmart has launched its 2012 "12 Days of Giving" campaign by calling on Facebook users to once again nominate the nonprofits that are making an impact in their local communities and need support. Each of the "12 Days" will focus on a different giving theme, including hunger, military assistance and disaster relief.

DEERFIELD, Ill. — Walgreens has formally set up a new company, jointly owned with Alliance Boots, as part of their strategic partnership’s synergy program.

The new company, called Walgreens Boots Alliance Development, will be based in Bern, Switzerland.

No other details were released.

NCR Corporation got a big order from Walmart this week that will allow the retailer to expand its self-checkout capability and potentially attract shoppers turned off by Walmart’s long checkout lines.

NCR said it would be installing 10,000 of its SelfServ Checkout lanes in more than 1,200 Walmart stores. That works out to about eight self checkouts per store, although the companies didn’t provide details concerning Walmart’s installed base of self-checkouts.

PLANO, Texas — JCPenney has added limited-engagement collections from Lulu by Lulu Guinness, Jenny Packham and Double Happiness Vivienne Tam to its holiday assortment.

PLANO, Texas — JCPenney has added limited-engagement collections from Lulu by Lulu Guinness, Jenny Packham and Double Happiness Vivienne Tam to its holiday assortment.

VEVEY, Switzerland — Nestlé on Tuesday named Luis Cantarell head of Nestlé Nutrition with the departure of Kurt Schmidt, deputy EVP Nestlé Nutrition, who has decided to leave the company for personal reasons effective Dec. 1.

Cantarell will assume this role in addition to his current responsibilities as president and CEO of Nestlé Health Science. Between 2001 and 2005, he was in charge of Nestlé’s Nutrition Strategic Business Division.