Mass Merchant

New York -- H&M will open its largest store in the world, on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, Women’s Wear Daily reported.

The company will open a six-level, 57,000-sq.-ft. store on Fifth Avenue at the corner of 48th Street sometime next year, according to the report.
 

Walmart U.S. just reported its fourth consecutive quarter of positive same store sales growth. Now comes the hard part.

The current third quarter period marks the first time in three years that Walmart U.S. is up against a prior year increase in same store sales. As Walmart U.S. president and CEO Bill Simon reminded those listening to the company’s conference call last week, Walmart had a 1.3% comp increase in the third quarter of 2011 and this year he is expecting an increase in the range of 1% to 3%.

MINNEAPOLIS — Target's charitable Facebook campaign garnered more than three million votes in leas than four weeks, the company reported. Through its Give With Target campaign, the company was able to reach its goal of awarding $2.5 million in Target gift cards to schools across the country two weeks earlier than planned.

Columbus, Ohio -- Big Lots reported Thursday that net income for the quarter ended July 28 slipped to $22.1 million, from $35.7 million in the year-ago period.

Sales in the United States edged up 1.7% to $1.18 billion, from $1.16 billion, and domestic same-store sales decreased 1.9% for the quarter.

In Canada, the company recorded a loss for the quarter of $3.3 million, widened from its loss of $1.2 million last year.

Minneapolis -- Target Corp. said Thursday it has awarded $2.5 million in Target gift cards to schools across the country, much of it due to a strong Give With Target campaign with a robust Facebook participation.

Walmart saw its low price supremacy challenged this week by a Bloomberg report indicating Target had lower prices on a basket of 150 comparable items.

The nation’s largest retailer is expanding an in-store healthcare initiative involving 10 types of immunizations administered at its stores through Nov. 15.

Walmart said it is working with Mollen Immunization Clinics to provide 10 of the immunizations recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at 2,700 stores. In addition, the company said flu and pneumonia vaccines would be available at all 3,800 stores with pharmacies.

Minneapolis -- A Thursday report by Bloomberg, citing unnamed sources, said that Best Buy Co. has rekindled its talks with co-founder Richard Schulze about an agreement that would allow Schulze to launch due-diligence efforts toward his proposed acquisition of the company.

Best Buy reportedly reached out to Schulze shortly after announcing quarterly earnings on Aug. 21 that missed Wall Street estimates, according to one of the unidentified sources, who also said that both parties could reach an agreement later this week.