Mass Merchant

City of Commerce, Calif. — 99 Cents Only Stores will open a 15,635-sq.-ft. store in Garden Grove, Calif., on Sept. 19.

As part of the grand opening, the first nine customers may buy a 40-inch Westinghouse flat-screen TV for 99 cents. The chain currently operates 326 across the southwest.
 

Trick or treaters looking for a different type of costumer this Halloween will want to head to Target, a retailer that knows a few things about differentiation.

The company has teamed up with fashion and costume designer and former Project Runway contestant Chris March to create an exclusive line of larger-than-life Halloween wigs. The collection of wigs which retails for $20 or less is said to serve as a centerpiece of Target’s seasonal presentation merchandised under a large skeletal sign that says, “fright done right.”

Willow Grove, Pa. — Blo/Out Blow Dry Bar has opened its third area location at Willow Grove Park in Willow Grove, Pa., near Philadelphia. The no-appointment 1,300-sq.-ft. salon offers eight styling techniques plus Blo/Out Express, a 20-minute dry styling treatment.

New York -- Saks Inc. announced that its chairman and CEO, Stephen I. Sadove, along with the company’s president and chief merchant, Ronald L. Frasch, plan to leave the company following the closing of its acquisition by Canadian retailer Hudson's Bay Co.

Toronto – Hudson’s Bay Company (HBC) reported net earnings of $3.9 million in the second quarter of fiscal 2013, compared to a net loss of $2 million in the second quarter of the previous fiscal year.

In addition, HBC reported consolidated sales of $947.7 million, up 3.9% from $911.9 million. The retailer credited consolidated same-store sales growth of 3.5% and e-commerce sales growth of 56.1% to $37.3 million as helping to drive its healthy overall performance.

Austin, Texas – The California Department of Pesticide Regulation is reportedly suing Whole Foods Market, Inc. for selling four pesticide products that allegedly fail to comply with state regulations.

An Associated Press report says the suit, filed Monday, Sept. 9 in Sacramento Superior Court, requests a court order to force Whole Foods to explain why it is selling the pesticides in question. If the court determines the pesticides are banned in California, the state could potentially fine the retailer.

As the winter season approaches, Burlington Coat Factory experienced overall sales growth that led to a comparative store sales increase of 7.8% for the second quarter ended Aug. 3.

Total net sales increased 11.5% to $963.7 million for the months quarter compared with last year.

“We are proud of our second quarter results including 11.5% overall sales growth and, most important, our 7.8% comparative store sales increase. I would like to thank our store and corporate teams for contributing to these results,” said Tom Kingsbury, president and CEO. 

Plano, Texas – Rent-A-Center is opening a new store at 1611 Blue Hill Avenue in the Mattapan neighborhood of Boston today.

Rent-A-Center operates 70 locations in the state of Massachusetts and more than 3,000 stores in the U.S., Puerto Rico, Canada, and Mexico. The company employs more than 21,000 workers.