Rutter's

New York -- Following news that luxury giant Neiman Marcus experienced network breaches over the holiday shopping season, similar to those of Target Corp., unidentified sources told Reuters that at least three other attacks on well-known merchants could be revealed in the coming weeks.

Phnom Penh, Cambodia – The United Nations reportedly wants the Cambodian government to investigate the use of force against striking garment factory workers in the country’s capital city of Phnom Penh on Jan. 3. According to Reuters, police opened fire on workers striking over their pay, wounding 20 and killing five.

In addition, 23 striking workers were detained and their whereabouts remain unaccounted for. The Cambodian police say three people were killed and they are sorry for the incident.

New York — Target Corp. said a “small percentage” of its gift cards were not properly activated and, as a result, are not working properly when customers try to redeem them.

“We are aware that some Target gift cards were not fully activated and apologize for the inconvenience,” Target spokeswoman Molly Snyder said in an e-mail, Reuters reported.

New York -- Colorado will become the first state in the country to open recreational pot retail stores when, on Jan. 1, 2014, it begins allowing the sale of cannabis to anyone age 21 or over.

The move comes after voters in Colorado approved the measure in the November 2012 elections. The state of Washington also legalized recreational marijuana at the same time, but that state won't open marijuana stores until later in 2014.

For companies across all industries, 2013 brought a number of challenges that significantly impacted supply chains and presented even greater uncertainty around the state of the transportation industry. Shippers were forced to adapt to a slowly recovering economy and increased regulatory mandates, compounded by the continued pressure to cut costs and maintain — if not improve — service performance levels, all while effectively planning for the future.

Cheshunt, England – British supermarket and general merchandise retailer Tesco plc has reportedly applied to the Indian government for permission to buy a 50% stake in the Indian hypermarket chain Trent Hypermarket Ltd. According to Reuters, Tesco wants to open stores in western India and would become the first foreign retailer to open a supermarket in India.

Washington, D.C. – The Washington, D.C., city council has reportedly unanimously approved an increase in the city’s minimum wage to $11.50 per hour in 2016, up from the current hourly rate of $8.25. According to Reuters, after being raised to $11.50 the minimum wage would then be indexed to inflation.

Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4

J.C. Penny will eliminate the jcp menswear brand and reduce the assortments in its Joe Fresh, Michael Graves and Martha Stewart lines, Reuters reported.

All four brands were introduced by former CEO Ron Johnson. Penney plans to use the resulting space to emphasize its exclusive private-label brands.

Starting in January, Penney will shrink its Joe Fresh in-store shops and reduce the assortment, the report said, moving the shops away from the front entry to give a more prominent spot to the chain’s own a.n.a and jcp women's wear collections.

New York -- J.C. Penny will eliminate the jcp menswear brand and reduce the assortments in its Joe Fresh, Michael Graves and Martha Stewart lines, Reuters reported. All four brands were introduced by former CEO Ron Johnson. Penney plans to use the resulting space to emphasize its exclusive private-label brands.