Retail

Dollar General issued a statement Thursday indicating the company is having trouble winning support from the Federal Trade Commission on a $9.1 billion bid for Family Dollar Stores.

Dollar General said it would “defend litigation” if necessary.

The statement could give new momentum to Dollar Tree's $8.5 billion cash and stock competing bid for Family Dollar. Meanwhile, two proxy investment firms have switched their recommendation for Family Dollar shareholders to accept the Dollar Tree offer, rather than the bid from Dollar General.

Atlanta – A class action lawsuit compiling more than 30 of the 44 lawsuits that have been filed against The Home Depot Inc. in relation to its 2014 data breach is scheduled to begin Friday, Jan. 16 in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia in Atlanta.

According to the Atlanta Business Chronicle, Chief Judge Thomas W. Thrash Jr. is telling attorneys for both sides to pursue a “just, speedy and inexpensive” resolution.

Walmart is supporting a trio of professional anglers on the competitive fishing circuit this year in an ongoing effort to align itself with sport that resonates with the retailer’s core customers.

The roster of talent Walmart is supporting this year includes 16 year Walmart FLW Tour veteran Mark Rose, 18 year veteran David Dudley and newcomer Nicole Jacobs.

Fort Worth, Texas -- RadioShack Corp. is reportedly preparing to file for bankruptcy ads early as the beginning of February 2015. According to the Wall Street Journal, RadioShack is currently in talks with several private equity firms about possibly buying its assets out of bankruptcy.

Washington, D.C. - The National Retail Federation (NRF) is launching United for Patent Reform, a new coalition co-chaired by NRF and Oracle and comprised of grocery, hotel, retail, restaurant and technology associations and companies. The coalition will pursue patent reform legislation aimed at curbing abuse of the patent system by “patent trolls.”

Holiday sales in 2014 were strong, and enthusiastic shoppers helped Toys “R” Us and Ikea raise nearly $20 million for children's charities.

The Toys “R” Us annual fundraising campaign to benefit the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation was its most successful to date, raising $6.4 million and collecting more than 220,000 toys.

Redwood Shores, Calif. – Retailers are sometimes accused of being laggards when it comes to technology and process adoption, but that does not appear to be the case when it comes to marketing. To assess marketing maturity across industries and demonstrate the business impact of modern marketing best practices, Oracle commissioned Forrester Consulting to conduct a global study of marketing decision-makers.

Minneapolis – Target is calling its quits in Canada. The retailer said is closing down its troubled Target Canada business. The chain previously indicated it would review its Canadian subsidiary, which launched with great fanfare in March 2013, after the 2014 holiday season.