Mass Merchant

RENO, Nevada — St. Mary's Medical Group once again is teaming up with Walmart to open up a second retail-based health clinic in Nevada, according to local news reports.

According to reports, the second location is opening on Tuesday at the Walmart store on Kietzke Lane.

Target took it to some leading brands in its weekly ad on Sunday where it devoted a full page to a side-by-side price comparison between its Up&Up brand and leaders of their respective categories such as Clorox, Similac, Reynolds Wrap, Tums, Jergens and Nyquil. It was the second week in a row Target has promoted Up&Up in its weekly circular except last week, the brand was featured on the cover with a reminder that Up&Up offers “unbeatable prices on over 900 quality products every day.”

In the price comparison from this past week, featured brands included:

Paducah, Ky. -- Youngstown, Ohio-based Cafaro Co. announced that Charming Charlie will open a new fashion accessories store at Kentucky Oaks Mall, in Paducah, Ky.

The Houston-based retailer will open a 7,000-sq.-ft. store in late spring 2011. This will be the second Charming Charlie store in Kentucky, the first being located in the Lexington area.

Bentonville, Ark. -- Wal-Mart Stores named Cindy Davis as executive VP Global Consumer Insights. In the position, she will lead the newly created Global Customer Insights team, helping both Walmart and Sam's Club understand broad consumer trends, provide insight into customers' needs across the world and create advanced analytical tools to support the business.

Davis most recently served as executive VP membership, marketing and e-commerce at the Sam's Club warehouse store division. A successor in that role will be named at a later date, Wal-Mart said.

Wow! Did you catch Lady Gaga at the Grammy Awards Sunday night? She received the award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance and Best Pop Vocal Album just days after Target announced an exclusive deal that allows fans to download the first single of her new album, “Born This Way,” scheduled for release on May 23. Gaga fans were able to pre-order the new album beginning last Friday through Feb. 26 at www.Target.com/gaga. Target’s exclusive deluxe edition includes three additional studio songs and five remixes, and will be available at stores nationwide and on Target.com.

MINNEAPOLIS -- Best Buy Mobile, the mobile specialty retail unit of Best Buy Co., announced that it is extending the offer to “future proof” smart phone purchases for free through Feb. 26 in all Best Buy and Best Buy Mobile standalone stores across the country. As part of this special two-week offer, customers can also receive the Buy Back Program at no cost when purchasing tablets, including the Apple iPad, at Best Buy Mobile standalone stores.

Wells Fargo retail analyst Matt Nemer put several leading retailers to the test this week with an innovative approach to research. According to Barron’s, he went on a $5,000 shopping spree on the websites of some of the largest Internet-only and traditional retailers. He said Amazon.com offered the best shopping experience, and he rated the retailer at outperform. Walmart.com was said to have higher prices than Amazon’s, but had strong customer service and didn’t showed up as well in searches.

New York City -- South Africa’s competition watchdog has recommended that Wal-Mart Stores’ proposed takeover of the country’s retail chain Massmart be unconditionally approved without conditions.

Wal-Mart made a $2.4 billion bid for Massmart in November, and a vast majority of the target company’s shareholders voted to approve the deal last month.

The deal now needs final approval from South Africa’s competition tribunal. A date for the hearing and subsequent ruling has yet to be set.