Target, Inc.

New York City -- A judge ruled Thursday that a San Diego pro-gay marriage group can continue canvassing outside of Target stores in California, the Associated Press reported. However, protestors must stay 30 ft. away from store entrances and canvass at just one entrance at a time.

The retailer had sought an injunction barring the activists from every outlet in the state, alleging they harass customers by cornering them near store entrances to discuss gay marriage, solicit donations and collect signatures on petitions.

MINNEAPOLIS --Same-store sales at Target declined 5.5% during March, in line with the company’s expectations for a down month due to the late arrival of Easter. The March decline is expected to be offset by strength in April with comps forecast to be in the teens.

NEW YORK -- Target continues to pull ahead of Walmart in the value retail category, according to a recent Harris poll. The company was named the 2011 Harris Poll Equitrend value retail brand of the year. This is the second consecutive year Target has led the way in the value retail category.

Target lead the way with a ranking of 74.1, while Walmart had a ranking of 70.8. The industry average in the value retail category was 67.3.

MINNEAPOLIS -- Target announced that it will offer an exclusive version of Alison Krauss & Union Station's "Paper Airplane," Krauss’ 14th album and the band’s follow-up to 2004’s Grammy-award-winning album "Lonely Runs Both Ways." The deluxe edition of Paper Airplane is now available for pre-order at Target.com and will be offered at Target retail stores nationwide beginning April 12.

A new Harris Poll EquiTrend study out this week shows Target, not Walmart, as the Value Retail Brand of the Year. That would be bad enough news for Walmart given the company’s prospects in the United States are closely tied to its reputation for low prices, but this is the second year in a row Target has been named the top Value Retail Brand and the gap with Walmart even widened this year.

New York City -- A poll released Thursday by Harris Interactive named Target Corp. as its Value Retail Brand of the Year.

According to the 2011 Harris Poll EquiTrend Study, Target has the strongest consumer brand equity among retail brands. Overall, awards are given in each of 46 different categories.

This is the second consecutive year Target has led the way in the Value Retail category, with the gap between runner-up Wal-Mart increasing.  

New York City -- Although there were some same-store drops among the discount retail players in March, most beat Wall Street expectations and showed that shoppers are continuing to spend despite a less-than-ideal economic climate.

Costco Wholesale Club was a strong performer in March, beating analysts’ estimates with a 7% rise in same-store sales for the month, excluding fuel. Wall Street expected a 5.5% increase.

Flushing, N.Y. -- Onex Real Estate Partners said that Payless ShoeSource has opened a new store at Sky View Center, the 800,000-sq.-ft shopping center located below Sky View Parc, Queens’ new mixed-used residential development.

The new 4,200-sq.-ft. Payless location, on level D of the Center, officially opens on April 9.

Bismarck, N.D. -- Chicago-based Jones Lang LaSalle announced that it has been named as the new property and leasing manager for Kirkwood Mall, an 845,000-sq.-ft. enclosed mall in Bismarck, N.D., by an affiliate of Radiant Partners that recently purchased the mall from Metropolitan Life Insurance Co.

Kirkwood Mall was built in 1970 and contains 80 shops, anchored by Herberger’s, I. Keating Furniture World, J.C. Penney, Scheels and Target.
 

NEW YORK -- A good reputation -- whether warranted or not -- can do a lot for a company's bottom line. So those companies that found themselves at the top of Forbes' most reputable companies list have much to celebrate.