Sales & Marketing

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill.  -- Kenmore announced that it has launched an online reality series, "So You Wanna Be a Designer."

For six weeks the reality show will stream live on Kenmore's Facebook page to show budding designers at work, making their dreams a reality. Through the series, contestants will learn how to navigate the barriers of entering the design world: how to create and launch a brand, and how to price, present and promote designs successfully, among other things.

FRAMINGHAM, Mass. -- Staples, which in February announced plans to positioned itself as a leader in technology, is now looking to become a leader in tablet computers.

SALISBURY, N.C. -- Food Lion announced that one lucky MVP customer will win free groceries for a year.

Customers can scan their MVP cards once a day at the in-store coupon kiosks, and they will be entered for a chance to win free groceries. Customers also can instantly win one of more than 200,000 free national and private brand items starting today through April 19. Free items will be awarded in the form of a coupon on the customer's MVP Savings Center coupon sheet which must be redeemed on the day it is issued.

GRAPEVINE, Texas -- The Nintendo 3DS is drawing quite a buzz, and GameStop announced that it will host events at more than 3,000 of its U.S. stores around the launch of the highly anticipated gaming device.

The company is opening its stores early on March 27, the day the Nintendo 3DS becomes available. GameStop reported that 800 stores nationwide will open at 12:01 a.m. and more than 2,400 stores will open early at 9 a.m.

Indianapolis -- The Finish Line said Thursday that its fourth-quarter profit rose 12% with strong same-store sales.

The company reported net income of $34.3 million in the quarter that ended Feb. 26, compared with $30.6 million a year earlier.

The Finish Line said that excluding a charge for writing down the value of stores.

Revenue rose 2.7% to $384.6 million. Same-store sales rose 4%.

The company said operating margins were 9% close to its goal of double-digit margins for the full year.

New York City -- Borders Group, which filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy in February and has announced plans to close about a third of its stores, said it plans to pay key employees as much as $8.3 million in incentives and retention bonuses, Bloomberg reported.

The retailer asked a judge to approve its plan in a filing Thursday in U.S. Bankruptcy Courty in New York. Borders said it has historically compensated employees through incentives.

PLEASANTON, Calif. -- Safeway Inc. announced that it was recognized this week by the Association of Fundraising Professionals with the organization's 2011 Freeman Philanthropic Services Award for Outstanding Corporation.

Dollar General maintained its momentum in 2010 by achieving record sales, profits and expansion and it’s looking like 2011 will bring more of the same. Last year, Dollar General opened 600 new stores and remodeled or relocated another 504 units to end its fiscal year on Jan. 28 with 9,372 stores. The additional square footage combined with a 4.9% same store sales increase enabled the company to grow total sales by 10.5% to roughly $13 billion.