Events

Never ones to let a good disaster go to waste, anti-Walmart forces have alerted the media to an event being held outside Walmart’s Washington, DC office.

Walmart has taken a lot of heat since last month when it was learned that a factory in Bangladesh where 112 people died in fire was being used by a Walmart supplier. Even though the facility was not on Walmart’s list of approved facilities, the incident renewed sentiment that Walmart’s quest for low prices causes its suppliers to cut corners.

PLANO, Texas — Tostitos surprised 28 U.S. military veterans who have previously served overseas with a special homecoming celebration.

Corte Madera, Calif. -- Restoration Hardware Holdings Inc. reported Wednesday net income for the third quarter of $1.7 million, compared with a loss of $4.8 million in the year-ago period.

Revenue rose 22% to $284.2 million and same-store sales surged 29%.

The home furnishings retailer went public in November.

Fort Worth, Texas -- Pier 1 Imports reported Thursday that net income for the third quarter rose 3% to $23.7 million, compared with $23 million in the year-ago period. Results matched Wall Street expectations.

Revenue rose 11% to $424.5 million from $382.7 million, beating analysts’ expectations of $422.2 million in revenue. Same-store sales increased 7.9%.

Cargo volumes at U.S. ports are forecast to increase 3.9% this month following a 5.6% decline in November. That’s the good news, but now retailers and suppliers have to worry about the possibility of a strike at East coast ports.

The strike by workers at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach negatively affected container volumes in November, but resolution of the strike after eight days meant disruption in December was limited to just two days, according to the monthly Global Port Tracker report compiled by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates

London -- An increasing number of U.K. consumers are spending more time at the nation’s shopping centers, according to a newly launched weekly statistic released Wednesday by the International Council of Shopping Centers and Path Intelligence.

Brooklyn, N.Y. -- Charter Realty & Development said it has leased 43,842 sq. ft. for an Alamo Drafthouse Cinema at the City Point Development in Brooklyn, N.Y.

Alamo Drafthouse Cinema features an upscale theater-restaurant combination. City Point will have seven screens of new releases, repertory programming and the Alamo’s signature programming with seating for over 900 moviegoers.
 

New York -- In a Tuesday night address at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York City, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. president and CEO Mike Duke didn’t shy away from discussing the fiscal cliff, saying that the current debate is having a negative impact on consumer spending.