Target, Inc.

NEW YORK — In what appears to be a case of back-pedaling to alleviate concerns of her devoted fanbase, Lady Gaga's deal to sell a special edition of her upcoming album at Target is off.

MINNEAPOLIS -- Target Clinic plans to open eight new locations in 2011. The in-store centers offer treatment for minor illnesses and injuries, skin treatments, vaccinations, tests and screenings, which are administered by health care professionals.

The new clinics will open in Target stores in the Twin Cities, Chicago and Ft. Lauderdale-Davie areas by the end of July.

Toronto — The Hudson's Bay Co. announced it has earned exclusive Canadian franchise rights for the United Kingdom’s Topshop and its male counterpart, Topman. The agreement includes the rights for both freestanding locations and in-store shops, expected to launch in The Bay in fall 2011.

New York — Lady Gaga's deal to sell a special edition of her upcoming album at Target is off.

A representative for the flamboyant and outspoken singer said Wednesday the two sides "came to a mutual decision to end their overall exclusive partnership a few weeks ago." Last month, it was announced that Target Corp. would be selling a deluxe edition of the album, to be released May 23, with bonus content.

Minneapolis -- Target Clinic plans to open eight new locations in 2011. The in-store centers offer treatment for minor illnesses and injuries, skin treatments, vaccinations, tests and screenings, which are administered by health care professionals.

The new clinics will open in Target stores in the Twin Cities, Chicago and Ft. Lauderdale-Davie areas by the end of July.

An over-the-counter version of the antihistamine Allegra hit the marketplace this past Friday amid a promotional frenzy that was consistent with the approach taken when similar products such as Claritin and Zyrtec became available without a prescription. As was the case with other products before it, retailers are eager to get their share of sales so there tends to be considerable activity around the launch.

The March issue of Fortune contains the magazine’s annual ranking of the most admired companies, and this year’s list shows Target ranked 22nd. Only Walmart (11) and Nordstrom (21) were ranked ahead of the company. Other notable retailers on the list who ranked lower than Target included Costco (29), Best Buy (36), eBay (45) and Lowe’s (49).

Target is expected to gain about $3 billion in market share during the next few years as the company completes the rollout of its PFresh program, according to Credit Suisse analyst Edward Kelly.

For a company so often on the leading edge of offering its shopper affordable fashions in the apparel and home categories, there is one area where Target has been slow to keep pace with the prevailing trend.

Get used to that headline. Increased sales of food during the coming year are expected to contribute 1.5% to Target’s same-store sales growth as the company continues it aggressive PFresh remodeling program.

Same-store sales in February advanced 1.8%, and the strongest performance came in the grocery category, where comps increased in the low teens while health care, beauty and other household essentials experienced gains in the mid-to-upper single-digit range. Also showing strength was the apparel category where comps increased in the low-to-mid single-digit range.