Mass Merchant

Boise, Idaho — WinCo Foods has announced that it will open two new discount supermarkets on November 7. The stores are located in Coeur D’Alene, Idaho and in Norco, Calif. and span 75,000 sq. ft. and 65,000 sq. ft. respectively.

Talk about an appropriate spokesperson. Monster, a leading manufacturer of headphones and personal audio equipment, has enlisted retired basketball superstar Dr. Shaquille O'Neal to endorse the company’s products across multiple categories.

"I am excited that we are collaborating with Shaq to market Monster's products. His bigger than life personality, coupled with his keen marketing experience and sense is a great fit for the Monster brand," said head ‘Monster’ " Noel Lee.

Framingham, Mass. – Holiday shoppers are seeking omni-channel solutions. According to a new national survey from Staples, two-thirds of consumers say they are equally as likely to purchase gifts online as they are to shop in-store.

The Staples study also reveals that 87% of gift shoppers admit they’ve had problems buying presents during the holiday season and 63% of gift givers report that nearly half of the people on their list are difficult to buy for, causing stress and frustration.

Other findings include:

New York – Merger and acquisition (M&A) activity was strong in the retail and consumer industry during the third quarter of 2013. Data from PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) shows that transaction values on M&A deals in the retail/consumer sector rose 112% compared to the same quarter a year earlier.

Los Angeles – A large number of shoppers do not appear to be setting aside any money for holiday spending this year, and four in 10 do not even intend to do any shopping for the upcoming holiday season.

According to recent GoBankingRates.com polls, more than 63% of respondents didn't allocate any savings toward holiday gift buying. In addition, more than 40% of respondents said they would not be buying holiday gifts this year at all.

Other findings include:

New York -- The first Walmart to be entirely lit with LEDs has opened, in South Euclid, Ohio, just outside of Cleveland. The store will serve as a model for environmentally friendly design for future locations, with 100% LED lighting, electric vehicle charging stations in the parking lot and more.

Other notable features of the store include:

Paramus, N.J. – A lone gunman who entered the Garden State Plaza in Paramus, N.J., with an assault rifle the evening of Nov. 4 and went on an hours-long shooting rampage has reportedly been found dead of what appears to a self-inflicted gunshot wound. According to the Newark Star-Ledger, the body of 20-year-old Richard Shoop of Teaneck, N.J., was found by authorities at 3:20 a.m. on Nov. 5 in an area of the mall usually not accessible to customers.

St. Louis – Most Americans will spend the same or less on holiday shopping this year as they did last year. According to a recent survey by financial services firm Edward Jones, 37% say they plan to spend less on holiday shopping in 2013 than they spent in 2012.