Seasonal

Columbus, Ohio -- Casto announced that Menards has purchased 20 acres of land at Columbus Corporate Center, on the east side of Columbus, Ohio.

According to Menards, construction on its 160,000-sq.-ft. store will commence later this spring. This will be the second Menards location in Columbus. The first location, situated at Northland is scheduled to open this spring.

CINCINNATI — Kroger said it is kicking off a year-long initiative to raise funds for armed forces members in partnership with the USO, the leading organization for morale-boosting programs and services for American troops and their families.

Kroger said the campaign will include in-store and online promotions and a text-to-give campaign that encourages Kroger customers to text "USO" to 27722 during the race to donate $10 to USO programs.

ATLANTA -- The Home Depot announced it will hire more than 60,000 seasonal associates in time for its second annual Spring Black Friday event.

Like the traditional Black Friday that occurs the day after Thanksgiving to unofficially start the holiday shopping season, The Home Depot's Spring Black Friday marks the start of home improvement's busiest shopping season -- the spring. 

MINNEAPOLIS-- This spring Target is celebrating the five-year anniversary of its GO International program with a collection that features 34 dresses from 17 past GO International designers. Ranging in price from $24.99 to $44.99, the GO International Designer Collective will be available March 13 through April 10 at most Target stores and Target.com.

Washington, D.C. -- A report released Tuesday by the U.S. Commerce Department said sales at U.S. retailers edged up 0.3% in January, less than the expected 0.5% to 0.6% increase, but still the seventh straight month of gains. A series of snow storms that hit much of the country throughout the month was cited as one of the factors for the weaker showing.

New York City -- Total retail sales (excluding autos) grew by 5.5% year-over-year, on par with December’s growth rate, and slightly higher than November’s, according to MasterCard Advisors’ SpendingPulse. SpendingPulse reports on national retail and services sales and is based on aggregate sales activity in the MasterCard payments network, coupled with survey-based estimates for all other payment forms

IRVING, Texas -- Michaels announced that it has updated its wedding section with hundreds of products including guestbooks, flower girl baskets, place cards, cake toppers and tabletop decor.

"DIY is the best way for a couple to create a ceremony and reception that expresses their unique style on any budget," said Michaels chief marketing officer Paula Puleo. "Michaels offers inspiration, ideas and one-stop shopping for everything needed to create a personalized, affordable wedding celebration unlike any other."

San Francisco -- More than one-third of customers who returned gifts they received this past holiday season were not satisfied with their return experiences, according to a new study released by MarketTools, which provides software and services for market research and enterprise feedback management.

The study found that of those not satisfied with the return process, 32% cited the retailer’s return policy as the main source of angst, 23% were unhappy with the form of refund the retailer provided, and 22% were dissatisfied with long lines.