Sales & Marketing

Seattle -- Seattle's Best Coffee, which is owned by Starbucks, has opened 12 stores since April, bringing it to almost 100 locations in the United States and Canada. The expansion reflects the chain’s strategy to build upon the brand’s broad distribution network of franchised locations, company-operated stores, relationships with restaurant chains, and foodservice locations.

Walmart suppliers interested in learning more about the sales opportunity presented by serving Hispanic customers domestically and internationally will have several opportunities to do so in the weeks and months ahead.

Purchase, N.Y. -- The apparel, e-commerce, grocery, and luxury segments all showed continued growth in August, as the hardware, restaurant, and automotive repair sectors returned to positive territory, according to MasterCard Advisors SpendingPulse, a macroeconomic report tracking national retail and services sales.

MINNEAPOLIS — Target is ushering in fall with Sonia Kashuk’s latest collection at Target, including shades and makeup brushes in a chic new print.

The Sonia Kashuk 2011 fall collection includes:

• Brush Couture Five-Piece Brush Set ($14.99): The five-piece brush set comes in a chic black-and-white tribal print and includes a powder/blusher brush, crease brush, synthetic concealer/foundation brush, small eye shadow brush and smudge brush.

SHADE ADDITIONS

New York City -- Lord & Taylor will unveil a new concept called Lord & Taylor Home on Friday, at Fashion Center shopping center in Paramus, N.J.  A second location, in Shrewsbury, N.J., is expected to open in several weeks. Lord & Taylor is owned by NRDC Equity Partners, which also owns Canada’s Hudson Bay Co.

NEW YORK — Sears and Kmart stores announced that they are supporting emergency relief efforts in a dozen states to help residents recover from Hurricane Irene’s damaging winds and floodwaters.

Sears and Kmart stores will offer discounts on recovery items in stores throughout Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Vermont.

Key discounts include:

Kmart:

NEW YORK — Macy’s reported that its same-store sales rose 5% in August, beating estimates. The retailer said sales would have been higher by 1.5% points without the impact of Hurricane Irene. Industry analysts had warned that the storm would impact department stores and specialty retailers the most as consumers focused on buying generators and other emergency and recovery items versus back-to-school and discretionary products.

Indianapolis -- The Finish Line has invested $8.5 million to acquire an 18-store chain of specialty running shops with locations in Connecticut, District of Columbia, Florida, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, and Texas. The stores operate under banners such as Greater Boston Running Co., Texas Running Co., Georgetown Running Co., Princeton Running Company, New York Running Co. and others.