Legislative, Regulatory & Legal

New York - Almost three-in-four Americans are holding back on spending, according to a new Bankrate.com report, with stagnant income the most frequent reason (32%), followed by the need to save more (24%) and worries about the economy (20%). Just 27% of Americans say they are not holding back spending at all.

Additional findings:

New York – Saks Inc. has settled lawsuits from investors related to its proposed buyout by Hudson’s Bay Company (HBC). According to Bloomberg, Saks has reached an agreement that reduces the termination fee it would pay HBC in the event the purchase does not happen and reduces the time Saks has to seek alternative offers

Coppell, Texas – Alco Stores, Inc. will voluntarily delist its common stock from the Nasdaq Stock Market on or about Oct. 31, 2013. The delisting of the company's shares is subject to stockholder approval of the proposed merger with an affiliate of Argonne Capital Group, LLC.

New York -- Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia and J.C. Penney Co. on Monday announced a revised commercial agreement covering their licensing and design partnership. The new agreement scales back Penney’s partnership with Martha Stewart Living.
    
It was not clear how, if at all, the revised agreement could affect the companies’ ongoing lawsuit with Macy’s.
    

Dhaka, Bangladesh – Owners of garment factories in Bangladesh are reportedly prepared to raise the minimum wage they pay workers from 50%-80% and ask retailers to pay at least some of the extra cost.

According to Reuters, factory owners have offered a minimum wage of about $46 per month. Workers have requested a minimum wage of about $102 per month, and the government is expected to order an increase in a middle range of $54-$66 per month. Current minimum wage is about $39 a month.

Boca Raton, Fla. - The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is reportedly set to approve the proposed merger between Office Depot and OfficeMax after concluding it will not significantly affect competition in the office retailing space. According to multiple press reports, the deal will go through without either company having to divest any holdings.

Chicago -- Although the first government shutdown in 17 years lasted 16 days, it left an impact on more than just the workers sent home after lawmakers failed to arrive at a deal to end the spending and debt stalemate. Total retail store shopper traffic during the week of Sept. 29 to Oct. 5 decreased 7.5% compared to the same time period last year, according to ShopperTrak, a leading provider of shopper analytics.

The Washington, D.C. area saw an even greater decrease, with an 11.4% decline in year-over-year shopper traffic the week of Oct. 6-12.

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New York -- Walmart brought together 10 moms in Nashville, Tenn., on Wednesday night to air their thoughts about the economy , the federal government and their own household incomes. The gathering — one of several that occurred in different locations throughout the nation — was part on an annual focus group organized by the chain, reported CNNMoney. This year, the discussion focused on a subject very much in the headlines: budgets.

Washington, D.C. – Matthew Shay, president and CEO of the National Retail Federation released a statement on the decision to reopen the federal government through Jan. 15 and raise the debt ceiling until Feb. 7. Shay said that while the agreement provides some satisfaction, it essentially continues debate and postpones difficult economic decisions that must be made.