Target, Inc.

Target Corp. has become the first major credit card issuer to convert to cards with PINS, the Cleveland Plain Dealer reported. The new cards will be MasterCards and will contain computer chips as well as PINs.

The latest retail data breach demonstrates that hackers will victimize whoever is vulnerable.

America’s Thrift Stores, an Alabama-based, 18-store for-profit chain that sells donated items and then contributes a significant portion of the profit to local charities, has been breached, Hackers used malware to compromise the systems of a third-party service provider, which gave them access to the America’s Thrift Stores network.

The latest retail data breach demonstrates that hackers will victimize whoever is vulnerable.

America’s Thrift Stores, an Alabama-based, 18-store for-profit chain that sells donated items and then contributes a significant portion of the profit to local charities, has been breached. Hackers used malware to compromise the systems of a third-party service provider, which gave them access to the America’s Thrift Stores network.

When Macy’s announced in early September that it planned to close between 35 and 40 underperforming stores, the move certainly made headlines. Unfortunately for Macy’s, it also made sense. Because, as most analysts and industry observers can attest, it only reaffirmed a storyline that has been developing for many years now: department stores are in trouble.

J.C. Penney CEO Marvin Ellison contends the retailer’s turnaround plan is working and by executing three key strategies it will achieve a financial milestone that was unthinkable a few years ago.

Phoenix -- BIG Shopping Centers USA and RED Development announced the addition of five retail assets totaling nearly 1.5 million sq. ft. in Arizona, Nebraska and Wisconsin to their recently launched joint venture BIG RED Portfolio.

The joint venture was launched in late 2014 with the acquisition of Camelback Colonnade in Phoenix. With the recent acquisition the portfolio now consists of nine retail assets totaling nearly three million sq. ft. in three states.

Retailers have always experienced a tension between investing to grow and investing to improve security. Not surprisingly, we’ve seen vulnerabilities arise when marketing and sales initiatives have trumped less sexy initiatives around security. In 2013, 61 million people had their personal data stolen from Target. One year later, 56 million credit and debit card numbers were exposed in Home Depot’s breach.

Walmart Canada is looking to make online shopping as convenient as possible by partnering with 7-Eleven Canada Inc. to expand Walmart Canada’s Grab & Go locker network in six 7-Eleven stores in the greater Toronto area.

The service offers customers using Walmart.ca a free shipping option where they can pick up their order, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, at no cost. This partnership expands on Walmart Canada’s current Grab & Go Locker service, which offers free shipping to 45 Grab & Go lockers in the GTA.