Mass Merchant

Toronto -- A spokesman for the Canadian Heritage Minister said Thursday that the government will conduct a review of Target’s store opening plans in the country to ensure its books, DVDs, music and other cultural products have enough Canadian content.

The review, which comes as Target is laying the groundwork to open in 2013 the first of 125 to 135 stores in former Zellers locations, falls under a “cultural heritage” provision in Canada’s foreign-takeover law.
 

Is Walmart’s private brand White Cloud toilet tissue too good? That’s the question the company has to be asking itself about the product’s specifications after seeing recent test results from Consumer Reports.

Armonk, N.Y. -- An IBM analytics-based forecast released Thursday expects that sales of home furnishings in the United States will shoot higher in the second quarter, with in-store sales increasing nearly 8% to $23.2 billion and online sales increasing 28.4%.

Combined in-store and online sales of home furnishings are expected to grow 16.6% in the second quarter.

Walmart is the nation’s largest food retailer, and 140 million people shop its stores each week, yet somehow the company ranked second to last on a ranking of the best and worst supermarkets in America.

Bayonne, N.J. -- Inland Real Estate Acquisitions announced it has acquired Bayonne Crossing, a 356,647-sq.-ft. shopping center in Bayonne, N.J., for approximately $75.2 million.

Located just off the Hudson River and across from Manhattan, the acquisition includes a 91,109-sq.-ft. Wal-Mart Urban Store and a 146,583-sq.-ft. Lowe’s Home Improvement, both anchor tenants on ground leases purchased by Inland Real Estate Acquisitions.

MINNEAPOLIS — Target has committed $15,000 in cash and gift cards to assist the Texas communities impacted by recent tornados. Cash donations will be distributed to The Salvation Army and the American Red Cross. In addition, Target has donated gift cards to other local nonprofit organizations for essentials such as water and food.

For the second month in a row Target’s same-store sales were nearly double the expected amount and the company increased its first quarter guidance as a result.

Same-store sales increased 7.3%, with half of the increase driven by growth in average transaction size combined with an increase in comparable-store transactions. Overall comparable-store sales in March 2011 decreased 5.5%.

BENTONVILLE, Ark. — As a large, profitable retailer, Walmart is expected to give back. While many could argue it could do more, the company gave away $958.9 million in cash and in-kind contributions around the globe during the fiscal year ending Jan. 31. The company's U.S. giving grew nearly 20%, largely due to increased donations of produce, meats, poultry and other nutritious food to local food banks from Walmart stores, Sam's Club locations and distribution centers.