Mass Merchant

FAIRFIELD, N.J. — Consumers trust retailers will provide them with safe, effective products — no easy task when one considers the numerous items any given company can sell. This is especially true for such retailers as Wal-Mart Stores, which has approved a partnership with SGS for safety and compliance testing for all wireless and automotive products sold through Walmart and Sam's Club, both in store and online, for the U.S. market.

New York City -- British fashion retailer Topshop will open its fourth store in the United States, in The Grove shopping center in Los Angeles.

The 25,000-sq.ft. store is expected to open in time for the 2012 holiday season, according to The Los Angeles Times.

To date, Topshop has opened in New York City and Chicago. It will open in Las Vegas, on March 8.
 

Shelly Ibach, a former merchant at Target back when the company had a department store division, will replace Bill McLaughlin as president and CEO at Minneapolis-based mattress manufacturer and retailer Select Comfort.

Boca Raton, Fla. -- Office Depot Inc. reported Monday that it swung to a profit of $12.3 million in the quarter ended Dec. 31, compared with a loss of $108.6 million in the year-ago period.

Revenue edged up to $2.97 billion in the quarter, from $2.96 billion last year, missing Wall Street’s expected break-even on $3 billion in sales. Same-store sales dropped 5%, due in large part to a move away from promotions to shore up profitability, said the company.

Boston -- Nearly 40% of smartphone-carrying shoppers abandon their in-store purchases due to long lines and 21% will abandon their purchases if there are no registers open, according to a survey sponsored by in-store commerce provider AisleBuyer.

Target for the first time this year was named to the annual listing of America’s Top Corporations for Women’s Business Enterprises compiled by the organization Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC).

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill.— Sears quietly added all nine of its Great Indoors stores to the list of store closings on Feb. 23.

Store managers were informed last week, a Sears spokeswoman confirmed, but no exact date has been given for the closings.

The upscale remodeling and home décor stores began opening in 1998, long before the Sears and Kmart merger. At one point, Sears operated 20 of the units, but they were never a big moneymaker for the company.

Salisbury, N.C. -- Bottom Dollar Food announced plans to open eight additional stores in New Jersey. The expansion will more than double the number of Bottom Dollar Food stores in the Garden State, with the first two stores opening March 2.

"We have been pleased with customer reaction to our current five stores in New Jersey and we are very excited to continue serving customers at our additional locations in the market," said Bottom Dollar Food president Meg Ham.