Retail

Americans spent lots of money on apparel in September, and Target was among the beneficiaries, reporting that the category’s performance exceeded the total company same-store sales increase of 5.3%. Target didn’t elaborate on any key merchandising initiatives that may have influenced the results, such as the launch of the Missoni collection, but it was hardly alone in reporting strong apparel sales.

NEW YORK — Supermarket chain Stop & Shop will work with Foodshare to sponsor events at its stores in Hartford, Conn., to help qualifying residents access the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefit.

About 70% of Connecticut residents who qualify for SNAP, formerly known as the food stamp program, actually receive the benefit, Stop & Shop said. This is because of such issues as language barriers, lack of transportation or lack of knowledge of the program.

It is still very early in the holiday season and anything could happen from a pricing perspective. However, with that as a caveat, it appears Target and Walmart are in a virtual dead heat when it comes to toy pricing, according to a survey by Citigroup’s senior retail analyst Deb Weinswig.

NEW YORK — An overwhelming majority (72%) of U.S. consumers expect their holiday spending to be “careful” or “controlled” in 2011, according to Accenture’s annual consumer holiday shopping study. Discounts, sales and prices are still top of mind this holiday, with 40% of consumers saying an item being on sale is the single most important factor in their decision to purchase.

Jamie Egasti was named CEO of Catalina Marketing Corp. and will join the firm’s board of directors. Egasti previously served as CEO of The Folgers Coffee Company and president of global snacks and coffee at Procter & Gamble. Egasti replaces Catalina co-founder George Off, who has served as interim CEO and a member of the company’s board of directors since May, 2011.

ATLANTA — The Home Depot Thursday announced it has named Teresa Wynn Roseborough EVP, general counsel and corporate secretary. She will join the company's senior leadership team and report to Frank Blake, chairman and CEO.

Roseborough will be responsible for leading The Home Depot's legal department, as well as its government relations and corporate security services functions. She will assume her new role on Nov. 7.

CINCINNATI — Kroger announced that its annual Honoring Our Heroes fundraising campaign to support the United Service Organizations garnered $1.5 million.

The funds were raised in partnership with customers and associates through a variety of in-store activities at Kroger stores nationwide, as well as online at HonoringOurHeroes.com. Procter & Gamble and Anheuser Busch also participated in the program and contributed $250,000 each in conjunction with special sales programs in Kroger stores.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — HSN is bringing Quick Response (QR) codes to a new shopping frontier by becoming the first retailer to use them on television.

Through Oct. 10 as part of the company's Innovation Weekend event, HSN will debut QR codes on its HD channel, which currently reaches approximately 43 million households. Customers will be able to scan the QR code of hundreds of products, the company said, giving them access the product information page on their mobile device, learn more about the product and purchase with ease.