Retail

MINNEAPOLIS-- Target is giving Lady Gaga fans something to celebrate. The retailer is offering customers the chance to pre-order an exclusive deluxe edition of her new album, "Born This Way," and download her first single and title track, "Born This Way" for free at Target.com/gaga beginning at 8 a.m. CST on Friday, Feb. 11 through midnight, Saturday, Feb. 26.

MOORESVILLE, N.C. – Lowe’s personnel changes are becoming hard to keep up with.

Wells Fargo retail analyst Matt Nemer put several leading retailers to the test this week with an innovative approach to research. According to Barron’s, he went on a $5,000 shopping spree on the websites of some of the largest Internet-only and traditional retailers. He said Amazon.com offered the best shopping experience, and he rated the retailer at outperform. Walmart.com, was said to have higher prices than Amazon’s, but had strong customer service and didn’t showed up as well in searches.

BENTONVILLE, Ark. -- Walmart announced that iPhone 4 on the Verizon Wireless network will be available in select Walmart stores starting Feb. 10.  

 "We're excited to bring iPhone 4 on the Verizon Wireless network, one the most anticipated mobile phone launches in recent history, to Walmart customers," said Gary Severson, SVP home entertainment for Walmart U.S. "As customers continue to embrace smart phone technology, we've added nearly 20 smart phone models to our assortment, including the new Verizon Wireless iPhone 4."

NEW YORK -- Macy’s announced that it has donated $16.25 million to various charitable organizations as a result of its 2010 Thanks For Sharing and Believe holiday campaigns. 

SAN BERNARDINO, Calif.  -- Stater Bros. reported that supermarket sales declined 2.31% in the first quarter of fiscal 2011 compared with the same period of the prior year.  Like-store sales decreased 2.31% or $21.3 million for the thirteen weeks ended Dec. 26, 2010 compared with the thirteen weeks ended Dec. 27, 2009.  Consolidated sales in the first quarter of fiscal 2011 were $899 million compared with $923.9 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2010, an overall decline of $24.8 million.

An otherwise exceptional year of sales and profits at Hibbett Sports was soiled somewhat late in the fourth quarter as consumer demand deteriorated, forcing the company to alert investors that it would come up short against earlier guidance. The 767-unit Hibbett chain continued to execute its strategy, but really bad weather in many of the company’s markets coupled with a slower-than-expected flow of tax refunds negatively affected results.

NEW YORK-- Barneys New York has launched a new editorial site called "The Window," which will reside on Barneys.com. According to the company, The Window will give viewers "a unique and expertly cultivated view into the worlds of luxury, culture, beauty and the people behind the most celebrated design houses, through interactive features and exclusive content."