Retail

Walmart will kick off a pre-Black Friday savings event in stores and online at 8 a.m. Friday, Nov. 22. The big box retailer is lowering prices on toys and electronics to match select Black Friday offers from Target, Toys “R” Us and Best Buy one week early.

Unilever wants to sell its Soft & Beautiful, TCB and Pro-Line Comb-Thru brands to Strength of Nature. The sale excludes TCB’s business in Africa.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed and it is expected to close in early December.

Dr. Pepper Snapple Group plans to distribute a growing line of all-natural, antioxidant-infused beverages.

Bai Brands, which makes the Bai 5 line, said the two companies have been working together for the last two years in select markets around the country and will now expand their partnership in most major markets.

The TJX Companies’ net income for the third quarter soared 35% to $622.6 million from $461.5 million in the year-ago period. The better-than-expected results prompted the company to raise its full-year guidance.

Net sales increased approximately 9% to $6.98 billion from $6.41 billion as bargain-hunting consumers flocked to its stores. Same-store sales rose 5%. The chain credited the ability of its off-price format to succeed in any economic environment as a key component of its strong quarterly performance.

The Limited will debut the Stylinity Style Stage, an omnichannel “selfie studio,” Thursday, Nov. 21 at its flagship store at Easton Town Center in Columbus, Ohio.

Sitting outside the store's dressing rooms, the Style Stage photographs the user wearing store apparel and tags that apparel allowing other shoppers to search for and buy those products online in a fully shoppable social commerce catalogue.  

Dick’s Sporting Goods said marketing efforts, improved customer experience and selective pricing initiatives in the third quarter helped traffic which resulted in net sales of $1.4 billion for the quarter, an increase of 6.7% compared to the year-ago period.

Kroger announced its succession plan for secretary and general counsel. Paul Heldman, 62, a 31-year Kroger veteran who has been serving as the company's general counsel since 1989, secretary since 1992 and EVP since 2006, plans to retire in spring of 2014.

RadioShack has announced the retirement of Thomas G. Plaskett from the company's board of directors. Plaskett had served on the RadioShack board since 1986, and was a member of the audit and compliance committee as well as the corporate governance committee.

His retirement is effective immediately, and the company intends to begin a search for a new independent director to fill his board seat.