Mass Merchant

MINNEAPOLIS -- Target announced that as part of its Earth Month celebration, it is offering customers the chance to win a "Refresh Your Nest" home makeover worth up to $50,000 with the help of LEED accredited designer Sabrina Soto, as well as hundreds of other sustainable prizes. Guests can log on to Target.com/Eco to enter the sweepstakes.

The Target.com/Eco site also features sustainable products for purchase, sustainable decorating tips from Soto and coupons for use at Target stores.

Bentonville, Ark. -- Wal-Mart Stores’ Scott Price, CEO for Asia, said Wednesday that the retailer makes $16 billion in annual sales in Japan, China and India.

In a report broadcast on Wal-Mart’s website and covered by Bloomberg, Price said that operations in Japan have $8 billion annual sales from 414 stores with 36,000 workers.

Annual revenue is $7.5 billion in China, generated by 329 stores, and sales in India are less than $1 billion a year, according to Price.

STEVENSON, Md. — The law firm of Brower Piven on Tuesday announced that a class action lawsuit has commenced in the Delaware Chancery Court on behalf of all shareholders of Drugstore.com, alleging violations of state law by the company’s board of directors relating to the proposed acquisition by Walgreens.

The complaint alleged that Drugstore.com's board of directors breached their fiduciary duties by failing to maximize shareholder value, among other things.

San Francisco -- Madison Marquette has announced the return of its retail business incubator program it calls Retail Star.

As part of the program, Madison Marquette is on the hunt for the third consecutive year to find entrepreneurs with new viable retail concepts.

The competition returns to Bayfair Center, in San Leandro, Calif., and kicks-off for the first time this year at Bay Street, in Emeryville, Calif., according to Madison Marquette.

Washington, D.C. -- The nation’s court is set to hear arguments on Tuesday in a decade-old legal fight that could cost Wal-Mart Stores billions of dollars if the 500,000 women claiming sex bias are allowed to band together in a class action.

Wal-Mart is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to end the massive sex discrimination lawsuit in which the women are claiming that the retailer favors men over women in pay and promotions.
 

City of Industry, Calif. -- Hot Topic said Monday that it is taking a series of steps it hopes will encourage growth, including closing its ShockHound.com music and merchandise website.

The teen retail chain said it will write down unproductive inventory and fixed assets that are not vital to the company's strategy. It also said it plans to stop reporting sales monthly in the third quarter.

Columbus, Ohio -- Retail Ventures, parent of off-price shoe retail chain DSW, reported Monday that net income for the quarter ended Jan. 29 was $5.7 million, compared with a loss of $5.3 million a year earlier.

Sales for the quarter were $468.5 million, up from $402.6 million in the year-ago period. DSW same-store sales increased 14.9%.

For the full year, net income was $51.8 million, compared with a loss of $65.6 million the year before. Sales were $1.82 billion, compared with $1.60 billion for the prior year.

Katy, Texas -- Houston-area sports retailer Academy Sports + Outdoors announced Tuesday that it will enter the Atlanta market with a new store opening on April 1.

The 70,000-sq.-ft. store is located in McDonough, and is the chain’s fourth store in Georgia.