Department Store

Minneapolis -- Target Corp. said Monday that it will open 17 southwestern Ontario, Canada store on March 19 and another four on March 28, on the heels of three successful pilot-store launches in the area.

The added slate of openings, said Target, will allow the retailer more opportunity to volume-test in advance of April grand opening dates.

CANTON, Mass. — Net income at Destination XL Group, formerly Casual Male, dropped to $4.2 million from $33.5 million for the fourth quarter in the year-ago period.

Fourth-quarter revenue increased to $114.9 million, compared with $111.1 million last year, and same-store sales edged up 0.5%. By brand, DXL stores saw a same-store sales rise of 15% in the quarter, while Casual Male dipped 2.3%.

WASHINGTON — The National Retail Federation reported that the average person celebrating Easter this year will spend about $145.13 on candy, décor, apparel and food – which is flat with last year’s $145.28.

NRF, through its Easter Spending Survey conducted by BIGinsight, estimated that total spending will reach an estimated $17.2 billion this year.

Is it just me, or does it seem like the past two months or so have seen an unusually high level of turnover at the top? It's gotten so that you need a scorecard to keep up with all the comings and goings, as chief executives are forced out, jump ship, retire or move on.

This year's changing of the guard is bittersweet because it includes the retirement of two veteran retailers, Steve Burd of Safeway and Maxine Clark of Build-A-Bear Workshop.

NEW YORK — Walmart was the only traditional retailer to be named to marketing firm Ipsos' Most Influential Brands of the United States list.

Amazon and Ebay also made the list, which included such companies as Apple, Facebook, Visa and Procter & Gamble. Topping the list was Google.

Conviction records must be weighed with caution under new EEOC guidelines

The use of criminal background checks by employers is being closely watched.

St. Louis -- Brown Shoe Co. reported Friday that net income of the fourth quarter was $4 million, compared with a loss of $8.2 million in the year-ago period.

Sales rose to $640.2 million from $628.9 million.

For full year 2012, profit edged up to $27.5 million from $24.6 million. Sales increased to $2.59 billion from $2.58 billion.

SARASOTA, Fla. — Saks Fifth Avenue has revealed more details about its new two-level, 80,000 sq. ft. store in The Mall at University Town Center in Sarasota, Fla., which is presently under construction at the intersection of I-75 and University Parkway. The Mall at University Town Center is being co-developed by Taubman Centers and Benderson Development and is scheduled to open Oct. 16, 2014.