Target, Inc.

By Jason Baker and Kenneth Katz, co-founders and principals, Baker Katz

Minneapolis – The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is reportedly investigating whether Target Corp. adequately protected its data and informed shareholders about the possible consequences relating to its fall 2013 data breach, according to Bloomberg. The report said that Target is one of several public companies that suffered a data breach which is being investigated by the SEC.

New York -- Target Corp. on Wednesday requested that customers no longer carry guns in its stores.

The retailer found itself embroiled in controversy when gun-rights activists in Texas and several other states chose Target stores to demonstrate their belief in the right to openly bear arms. In response, the chain came under heavy fire from groups such as "Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense" and others who expressed concern about firearms being carried into an environment where the shoppers are often accompanied by children.

MISSISSAUGA, Ontario -- Target announced that all 124 store locations it has opened across Canada in 2013 have been awarded Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) certification.

Portland, Ore. - U.S. retail firms are confident in their ability to detect data breaches. According to a recent survey of 154 retailers by security solutions provider Tripwire, when asked how quickly their organizations would detect a breach, 42% of respondents said it would take 48 hours, 18% said it would take 72 hours, and 11% said it would take a week.  

Minneapolis – Target Corp. reportedly experienced difficulties in areas including product mix and corporate creativity under ousted CEO Gregg Steinhafel. According to the Wall Street Journal, these difficulties preceded any problems relating to Target’s fall 2013 data breach or expansion into Canada and helped lead to Steinhafel’s essentially forced resignation.

▲ Data breaches are on the rise: Mounting an attack on retail systems has become increasingly attractive to attackers because malware can be delivered at very low cost, according to Mark Bower, VP product management and solutions, Voltage Security, a Cupertino, California, provider of data-centric encryption and tokenization.

“So it becomes very attractive to attackers to try and steal credit card and personal data they can monetize very quickly,” he added.

As to the role of a financial chief, “the CFO has the responsibility to look at overall r

Unlike most consumers, the retail industry doesn’t take a holiday in the summer. As we head into July, three very different retail companies are very much in the news. One has the industry all abuzz over who will be its next chief, while another has launched a pioneering employee initiative. And the newly appointed chief of the third wants to turn a cult L.A. brand into a global powerhouse. I’m fascinated by all three:

•  Target: At press time, there is no clear front-runner to replace ousted CEO Gregg Steinhafel.

Minneapolis - Nearly all online orders of $50 or more at Target will now qualify for free shipping. The new policy, which takes effect June 23, makes tens of thousands more products eligible for free shipping.

Only oversize and heavy items will be excluded and subject to a handling fee. Target now matches Wal-Mart’s online free shipping offer but still has a higher threshold than the $35 free shipping offer from Amazon.com. Participants in Target’s Red Card loyalty program, which is free to join, always get free online shipping.

Macy’s has added Annie Young-Scrivner, EVP of Starbucks Coffee Company and president of its Teavana business, to its board of directors.