Seasonal

Bentonville, Ark. -- Wal-Mart Stores will hold its annual meeting in Rogers, Ark., near its Bentonville, Ark., headquarters on Wednesday, and said the meeting focus will be on reversing the decline in its U.S. Walmart stores’ business.

The retailer is also expected to share information about its upcoming holiday strategies and discuss capital spending plans.

WAYNE, N.J. — Toys"R"Us announced that through Nov. 5, for every wish list created in-store or online it will donate $1 in Toys"R"Us gift card, up to $50,000 to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. In addition, the Toys"R"Us Children's Fund, a public charity affiliated with Toys"R"Us Inc., has provided the Make-A-Wish Foundation with a $275,000 grant.

Hudson, Ohio -- Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores said Monday it will increase its work force by more than 15% for the holiday season.

Tom Williams, senior VP human resources for Jo-Ann, announced the company has begun the seasonal recruiting process and will hire more than 3,000 additional employees before the holidays.

The company attributes the seasonal hiring to anticipation of increased traffic in stores through the holiday season.
 

New York City -- An overwhelming majority (72%) of U.S. consumers expect their holiday spending to be “careful” or “controlled” in 2011, according to Accenture’s annual consumer holiday shopping study. Discounts, sales and prices are still top of mind this holiday, with 40% of consumers saying an item being on sale is the single most important factor in their decision to purchase.

Target’s toy catalog is set for release on Nov. 1 and will feature an expanded assortment displayed across eight additional pages with discount coupons for savings of more than $350.

To help busy parents stay organized during the holiday season, the toy catalog focuses on list building and includes checkboxes next to every item, and a special tear-out list for kids to complete. According to the company, it is offering nearly 7,000 toys online and in stores and will offer discounts on 2,000 of those items throughout the season.

How good was the 5.3% same-store sales increase Target reported for September? We know it was toward the upper end of the company’s official guidance that called for a low to mid single-digit gain, but according to Richard Hastings with Global Hunter Securities it was the company’s best showing in September since 2006.

NEW YORK — An overwhelming majority (72%) of U.S. consumers expect their holiday spending to be “careful” or “controlled” in 2011, according to Accenture’s annual consumer holiday shopping study. Discounts, sales and prices are still top of mind this holiday, with 40% of consumers saying an item being on sale is the single most important factor in their decision to purchase.

It is still very early in the holiday season and anything could happen from a pricing perspective. However, with that as a caveat, it appears Target and Walmart are in a virtual dead heat when it comes to toy pricing, according to a survey by Citigroup’s senior retail analyst Deb Weinswig.