Winter Holidays

BENTONVILLE, Ark. — Walmart has unveiled its Black Friday circular and event times on www.Walmart.com as well as its Facebook wall and mobile app. The retailer's Black Friday circular includes hundreds of brand name electronics, toys, apparel, sporting goods and home and houseware items. Backed by Walmart's ad match guarantee, items featured in the Black Friday circular will be available during three events starting at 8 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 22.

Bentonville, Ark. -- Walmart will opens its stores at 8 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day, two hours earlier than a year ago. The retailer is also guaranteeing shoppers that it will have three of the most popular items it sells if they line up inside the store during a one-hour event that day.

Menomonee Falls, Wis. -- Kohl's Corp. on Thursday reported stronger-than-expected third quarter profit of $215 million, up from $211 million in the year-ago quarter. But the chain gave a profit forecast that missed Wall Street's expectations.

Sales increased 2.6% to $4.49 billion from $4.38 billion in the year-ago period. Same-store sales rose 1.1%.

MENOMONEE FALLS, Wis. — Kohl’s third quarter sales increased 2.6% to $4.5 billion, and comparable-store sales were up 1.1%, in line with the company's expectations.

The retailer's net income for the third quarter rose 14% to 91 cents per diluted share. Net income was $215 million compared with $211 million, or 80 cents per diluted share, a year ago.

New York -- Holiday sales will reach a record $556.8 billion, a sluggish 2.8% increase from 2011, according to retail consultancy Customer Growth Partners’ 11th annual Holiday Forecast.  

DALLAS — Zale Corp. has partnered with Shaquille O'Neal for a new, exclusive collection of men’s jewelry.

The Shaquille O’Neal Collection will offer a variety of men’s pendants, rings and bracelets. The collection will be offered exclusively in select Zale stores throughout the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico and online at Zales.com/shaq, just in time for holiday gift giving.

Minneapolis -- Target Corp. announced a partnership with CNET – a top website for consumer electronics and tech news – to provide guests with CNET Editors’ Picks for Target, in time for the holiday season. The collaboration is part of a larger, ongoing partnership between Target and CNET.

Cincinnati – Macy’s on Wednesday reported a better-than-expected 4.3% increase in third-quarter net income, helped by sales gains, and slightly raised its full-year profit outlook.  

Macy’s also announced that it will discontinue reporting monthly sales, beginning in fiscal 2013. Sales will continue to be reported quarterly, along with earnings and cash flow.