Mass Merchant

Dow Jones this morning reported that South African retailer and Walmart takeover target Massmart Holdings has given assurances it will continue to honor all agreements with labor unions and local labor laws if the buyout goes through. That’s what Walmart and Massmart have been saying since the deal was announced last year but they have to keep saying it because union activists are everywhere in the world.

The Auburn Tigers will celebrate their BCS national championship win over the Oregon Ducks by having their trophy displayed at select Walmart stores. The crystal football known as the coaches’ trophy will be on display today at a Walmart store in Montgomery, Ala., then tomorrow at a Walmart in Columbus, Ga., and then finally Sunday at a store in the school’s hometown of Auburn, Ala.

The tour, sponsored by Dr. Pepper, gives fans the opportunity to view the trophy and even have their picture taken with it. 

Lenexa, Kan. -- Seattle-based Nordstrom announced plans to open its first Nordstrom Rack in Kansas. The 34,925-sq.-ft. store will be located in Lenexa at the Orchard Corners shopping center and is expected to open in fall 2011.

Kansas City, Kan. -- Beachwood, Ohio-based Developers Diversified Realty Corp. said that Anthropologie will open an 11,202-sq.-ft. store at Town Center Plaza, a 626,000-sq.-ft. lifestyle center located in Leawood, Kan.

The new store is slated to open this summer.

In 2010 at Town Center Plaza, Victoria's Secret relocated and expanded to a new 7,200-sq.-ft. prototype store, Bath & Body Works expanded into a 3,267-sq.-ft. space, and The Limited executed an agreement to open a 4,595-sq.-ft. store in the spring.

MINNEAPOLIS  —Target announced that its chief marketing officer, Michael Francis, will serve as the executive committee sponsor of Target’s entrance into the Canadian market.  In this role, Francis will oversee the extension of Target’s brand as part of the corporation’s first-ever expansion of its stores beyond the United States, the company reported. 

At this year’s NRF show, Peter LaFond, Walmart’s marketing director for online media and smart network, showcased how his company utilizes its in-store video network to deliver targeted, relevant messages to its customers.

Washington, D.C. -- Retail sales rose for a sixth consecutive month in December, with big gains in sales of autos and furniture. The increases lifted sales activity for the year by the largest amount in more than a decade.

Sales rose 0.6% last month to a level of $381 billion, the Commerce Department said Friday, less than the 0.8% economists had expected. However, the increase pushed sales for all of 2010 up 6.7%, the largest annual increase since 1999. Excluding autos, retail sales rose 0.5% last month.

New Iberia, La. -- Centro Properties Group said that T.J. Maxx will open a 24,035-sq.-ft. store at Lagniappe Village, in New Iberia, La. 

New York City-based Centro is the owner of Lagniappe Village.