Sales & Marketing

After a weaker-than-expected showing in June, Target needs a solid performance in July to deliver on its second quarter sales and profit expectations.

June same-store sales increased a modest 2.1%, well below a 4.4% increase in May, but the deceleration didn’t cause the company to adjust its second quarter guidance. The company expects second quarter earnings adjusted to exclude expenses related to its entry in Canada to range from $1.04 to $1.14 and earnings that include the Canadian costs to range from 94 centers to $1.04.

Having past the calendar’s mid-point, we thought it would be interesting to take a look at the most viewed stories of the year to date on Chainstoreage.com. (Based on the results, it’s clear that J.C. Penney is shaping up as THE story of 2012.) Here are the Top 10 stories of the first six months:

LOS ANGELES — Katie Bayne, president and general manager of sparkling beverages for Coca-Cole North America, has been elected to the American Film Institute's board of trustees.

Framingham, Mass. -- When comparing social media investment to other emerging technology areas, retailers more than any other industry are making strong investments, according to a new study by International Data Corp.

NEW YORK — Macy’s has partnered with celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson for an exclusive cookware collaboration with celebrity chef and Macy’s Culinary Council member, Marcus Samuelsson. The “Marcus Samuelsson American Table for Belgique” collection will launch in September 2012, exclusively at Macy’s and on Macys.com.

Indianapolis — In light of poor performance in its video category, electronics retailer Hhgregg has lowered its fiscal 2013 guidance.

Hhgregg is expecting net sales for its first quarter to be approximately $490 million, an increase of approximately 13.5% as compared with the $431.5 million of net sales reported in the fiscal first quarter last year. The company attributes the sales growth to the net addition of 30 new stores during the quarter.

Melville, N.Y. – Former founding partners of DJM Realty Andrew Graiser and Emilio Amendola announced Monday they have launched A&G Realty Partners, a commercial real estate consulting, advisory and investment group.

A&G will offer a comprehensive set of services that address both common and complex industry issues.

Deerfield, Ill. — Walgreens on Tuesday extended its innovation in mobile technology with the introduction of a developer portal that allows third-party software developers to integrate the Walgreens QuickPrints software development kit, enabling photo printing directly from iPhone and Android mobile devices.