Mass Merchant

If we wanted to show the struggles of the classic American mall, I don’t think we could come up with a better example than Northland Mall in Southfield, Michigan. When it opened in 1954, Northland was an instant hit: an icon not only for the region, but for the nation. One of the first and largest open air centers in the nation, Northland was enclosed in 1974 and today boasts space for 96 stores and nearly 1.5 million sq. ft. of retail.

Washington, D.C. – Retailers looking forward to consumers receiving their tax refund checks this year may be setting themselves up for disappointment. According to a new survey from the National Retail Federation (NRF) and Prosper Insights & Analytics, close to half (47%) of the 66% of Americans expecting a tax refund this year plan to save it.

New York -- American Express has officially launched its Small Merchant EMV Assistance Program, which was announced last October by President Obama. The nationwide campaign was created to help U.S. small merchants fight fraud through a $10 million reimbursement program designed to accelerate adoption of EMV payment terminals. It will also arm small merchants with knowledge about EMV’s security benefits.

Petco is leveraging the popularity of raw pet food by launching a series of educational events at some of its stores.

Starting on March 2, on the first Monday of each month, Unleashed by Petco stores will sample a variety of frozen, dehydrated and freeze-dried raw food and treats and educate customers on the health benefits of raw food as part of the Monday Night Raw Next-Level Nutrition event series.

Office Depot posted a larger profit in the fourth quarter, but the retailer says currency pressures, market challenges and its tentative merger with Staples could negatively affect sales in 2015.

Office Depot reported a profit of 7 cents a share, compared with a year-earlier loss of 5 cents a share. Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters had projected earnings of four cents a share on revenue of $3.91 billion.

Minneapolis – Target Corp. reportedly thinks having a range of organic products matters. According to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Target has selected 31 new brands to participate in the second year of its “Made to Matter” program, which promotes new sustainable, organic and natural goods.

Seattle -- Nordstrom said it plans to relocate its store in Westside Pavilion, Los Angeles, to a new site in Westfield Century City Los Angeles.

The new, three-level, approximately 149,000-sq.-ft. store is expected to open in 2017 as part of an $800 million redevelopment of Westfield Century City that includes a near doubling of specialty retail square footage. Nordstrom will continue serving customers at its Westside Pavilion store until it relocates.

Target Corp. reportedly thinks having a range of organic products matters.