Sales & Marketing

Losing weight is a little like saving money. Consumers will always intend to do more of both, but then reality sets in and they tend to do neither. Retailers can count on that pattern holding true this year, which is good news because a recent study by the National Retail Federation shows those planning to save their tax refund is at an all time high.

Nashville, Tenn. -- X Team International announced that Nashville-based partner Baker Storey McDonald Properties has acquired two shopping centers located in Kentucky and Ohio.

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. — Sagging sales and declining profits plagued Sears Holdings during the fourth quarter as the company posted a $2.4 billion loss and announced several measures to bolster its balance sheet.

Phoenix -- Cole Real Estate Investments announced that it signed leases totaling nearly 640,000 sq. ft. at Cole-related retail properties during 2011.

Cole secured approximately 308,000 sq. ft. of new leases, along with 330,000 sq. ft. of renewals, bringing the occupancy rate for its portfolio of properties to 97.8%.

It’s a safe bet that Andrew Pole will never talk to another reporter after the treatment he and Target received in a piece in the Feb.16 edition of The New York Times with the headline, “How companies learn your secrets.”

Toronto -- The Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association said Thursday that it has forged an agreement Chase Paymentech to refer its payment processing solutions to more than 30,000 CRFA members across the country.

With the new agreement, Chase Paymentech will provide countertop, wireless and integrated restaurant management solutions to handle any payment type, including Pay-at-the-Table, EMV chip, online orders, contactless and gift cards.

Minneapolis -- Target Corp. reported Thursday that profit for the quarter ended Jan. 28 slid 5.2% to $981 million, from $1.04 billion in the prior year.

Revenue increased 3.3% to $20.94 billion, missing Wall Street’s expected $21.23 billion in revenue. Same-store sales rose 2.2%.

Heavy discounting during the holiday season cut into fourth-quarter profits, but Target still is forecasting a full-year profit outlook that beats analysts’ expectations.

Santa Monica, Calif. -- Branding agency The Richards Group said Wednesday that, on behalf of client H-E-B Grocery Co., it has selected production company King and Country to create six new spots featuring a mixture of kids, family pets, animated typography, and the red and white colors from H-E-B's logo.

The first of the 15-second spots debuted Wednesday in targeted TV and cable outlets and on HEB's social media channels, including www.YouTube.com/HEB.