Corporate Governance

MINNEAPOLIS — Target's charitable Facebook campaign garnered more than three million votes in leas than four weeks, the company reported. Through its Give With Target campaign, the company was able to reach its goal of awarding $2.5 million in Target gift cards to schools across the country two weeks earlier than planned.

The nation’s largest retailer is expanding an in-store healthcare initiative involving 10 types of immunizations administered at its stores through Nov. 15.

Walmart said it is working with Mollen Immunization Clinics to provide 10 of the immunizations recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at 2,700 stores. In addition, the company said flu and pneumonia vaccines would be available at all 3,800 stores with pharmacies.

IRVING, Texas — Michaels Stores reported a second quarter same-store sales increase of 2.9% driven by a 3% increase in transactions and a positive impact of 0.9% from deferred custom framing revenue partially offset by a 1% decrease in average ticket.

Net sales for the quarter increased 4.1% to $892 million from $857 million in the second quarter of fiscal 2011.

Net income for the quarter increased 30% to $13 million, and as a percent of net sales increased 20 basis points to 1.4%.
   

SIDNEY, Neb. — Cabela's has named Sean Baker as president of World's Foremost Bank and will be appointed CEO effective Jan. 1, 2013. Baker will replace Joseph Friebe, whose planned retirement was announced in June.

Walmart.com still has a lot of ground to make up on Amazon.com, but July was a step in the right direction as the company added more unique visitors and grew at a faster pace than Amazon.com.

The number of unique visitors to Walmart.com increased 16.8% I to 45.2 million and placed the company 23 on a top 50 Web properties report compiled monthly by the online measurement firm comScore Media Metrix. During July of 2011, Walmart.com ranked 25^{th with 38.7 million unique visitors.}

Confectionary, food and beverage conglomerate Kraft Foods is selling part of its natural-food products line, Back to Nature, to private-equity firm Brynwood Partners.

While Kraft has sold two other brands to Brynwood, it’s keeping a minority stake — reported to be between a quarter and a half, according to Dow Jones— in the Back to Nature line, which currently includes crackers, cookies, granola and trail mixes that contain less-processed ingredients.

Chicken Soup for the Soul, the well-known book publisher and leader in life improvement, inspiration and wellness, will launch a national line of nutritious, quality comfort foods that will be available in supermarkets and food retailers in early 2013.

PHOENIX — Sprouts Farmers Markets announced that Shon Boney, who has served as CEO since the company's founding in 2002, will assume the role of chairman of the board of Sprouts. Long-time Sprouts president Doug Sanders will become president and CEO, whereby he will continue to be responsible for all day-to-day aspects of running the business.

According to the company, Boney is taking on the chairman role in order to spend more time with his family in Sand Diego.

Wounded retailers have a tendency to take irrational actions which means Walmart could have its hands full this holiday season as Best Buy is looking desperate and has a new CEO at the helm.

Walmart U.S. just reported its fourth consecutive quarter of positive same store sales growth. Now comes the hard part.

The current third quarter period marks the first time in three years that Walmart U.S. is up against a prior year increase in same store sales. As Walmart U.S. president and CEO Bill Simon reminded those listening to the company’s conference call last week, Walmart had a 1.3% comp increase in the third quarter of 2011 and this year he is expecting an increase in the range of 1% to 3%.