Retail

Home Depot has posted double digit comp-store sales in the second-quarter, exceeding its own expectations, thanks to a rebound in seasonal categories.

Net sales at the world's largest home improvement retailer increased 9.5% to $22.5 billion in the quarter ended Aug. 4, compared to $20.6 billion in the same quarter last year. Comp-store sales increased 10.7% across the company, and increased 11.4% among domestic stores.

Net earnings for the quarter were $1.80 billion, up 17.2% from $1.53 billion in last year's 14-week second quarter.

In the 1980s, animated public service commercials featuring McGruff the Crime Dog exhorted viewers that: “Together, we can take a bite out of crime.” Two decades later, department store retailer J.C. Penney is taking that spirit of teamwork to cooperatively use technology to combat retail crime in the greater Chicago area.

NEW YORK — Canadian shoppers aren’t wowed by Target Corp., according to a customer-satisfaction rating survey by Forum Research. As reported in The Globe and Mail, the survey ranked Target at the bottom of a list of major retailers operating in Canada. (Satisfaction as measured by the survey relates to service, prices and/or merchandise offering.)

Over all, Target scored a mean 2.7 out of 4, compared with Costco’s 3.5, Wal-Mart’s 3.1 and a 3.2 average.

LOS ANGELES — Young gamers will have something to smile about now that Virtual Piggy is providing its youth-friendly payment system to Marvelous USA, Inc., the U.S.-based publishing operation of MarvelousAQL Inc.

NEW YORK — Sequential Brands Group, the parent company of Heelys wheeled footwear, plans to overhaul the footwear collection and expand into new product categories, including backpacks and other back-to-school accessories.

ROCKFORD, Mich. — Wolverine Worldwide has appointed Jodi K. Watson as president of consumer direct, reporting to chairman, CEO and president Blake W. Krueger.  

In her new role, Watson will be responsible for direct-to-consumer operations for the company, including stores and e-commerce.

Watson was most recently the company’s VP of e-commerce, leading Wolverine's global digital strategy. She has served on its retail leadership team since joining the company in 2009.

The Valley Forge Shopping Center on West DeKalb Pike is adding Target to its tenant roster July 2014, making it the first Target store in the city of King of Prussia. 

The King of Prussia store will be approximately 165,000 sq. ft. and will include a selection of fresh produce, fresh packaged meat and pre-packaged baked goods, as well as a Starbucks, Target Optical and Target Pharmacy.

Los Angeles -- A new survey by PriceGrabber confirms that consumers are determined to think frugally when shopping for back-to-school this year, with 57% of respondents saying they will attempt to buy more items that are "on sale," while 42% say they will comparison shop for the best price.