White House Black Market (WHBM)

WASHINGTON — The National Retail Federation announced that it is urging Congress to reach an agreement and raise the debt ceiling in order to avoid default.

NRF president and CEO Matthew Shay issued the following statement:

The historic May flood of 2010 in Nashville and Middle Tennessee took 23 lives, displaced thousands of residents and flooded hundreds of businesses, as more than 13 inches of rain was recorded over a two-day period and the Cumberland River reached nearly 12 ft. above flood stage.

Among the business casualties was the Opry Mills, a Simon Property Group outlet retail destination seven miles from downtown Nashville and a short walking distance from the Grand Ole Opry.

Cherry Hill, N.J. -- Philadelphia-based Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust (PREIT) announced that cosmetics retailer Lush will open a new store at Cherry Hill Mall, in Cherry Hill, N.J.
 
The new 860-sq.-ft. store is located in the Macy’s wing of the mall.

WASHINGTON -- The American Beverage Association announced that consumers across the United States will soon find new calorie labels on the front of their favorite beverages as part of an effort by America's leading non-alcoholic beverage companies bring the Clear on Calories initiative to stores. The beverage industry's voluntary commitment to make calories more visible and useful to consumers supports First Lady Michelle Obama's efforts to help families make informed choices as part of an active, healthy lifestyle, the association reported.

Washington, D.C. -- The National Retail Federation welcomed President Obama’s recognition of the importance of the retail industry to job creation in Tuesday night’s State of the Union address, and pledged to work with the White House on initiatives to promote continuation of the nation’s economic recovery.

Washington, D.C. -- An endorsement by First Lady Michelle Obama of its new food nutrition and health initiative has helped to propel Wal-Mart Stores forward in its plans to remove political obstacles to further U.S. growth.

The new healthy food drive, in which Walmart is reformulating its Great Value private-label foods to reduce sodium and sugar contents, was announced on Thursday at a community center in a low-income area of Washington, D.C. It was attended by the First Lady, who also leads an administration initiative to fight childhood obesity.