News

Minneapolis – John J. Mulligan, CFO and executive VP of Target, is publicly calling for U.S. businesses to adopt chip-enabled smartcards. In a column published in the Congressional blog of political site The Hill, Mulligan said the attack on Target exposed the sophistication of today’s hackers and that the retailer had already been striving toward adopting chip-enabled smartcards, used in most of the rest of the world, before the holiday 2013 data breach.

Dallas -- J.C. Penney Company on Tuesday said its same-store sales rose 2% in the fourth quarter, which included the holiday season. It was the chain’s first positive quarterly sales result since 2011.

As part of its 2014 expansion plans, teen and tween retailer Five Below has its eye set on the Tennessee market and will be opening five new stores there by spring.

Sport Chalet’s digital strategy paid off in the third quarter ended Dec. 29, which saw online sales surge 22% from Thanksgiving to Christmas.

The company reported net income for the quarter of $1.5 million, or $0.10 per diluted share, compared to a net loss of $1.9 million, or $0.13 per diluted share, in the third quarter of last year.

On the heels of a healthy yet modest holiday shopping season, cautious consumers aren’t quite ready to splurge on Valentine’s Day this year, continuing to keep their budgets in check.

KEASBEY, N.J. — ShopRite is piloting a program that takes shoppers beyond the traditional checkout lines and self-checkout lanes and enables them to check out from their smartphones.

J.C. Penney scored its first positive quarterly sales result since 2011, reporting a same-store sales increase of 2% in the fourth quarter, which included the holiday season.

Whole Foods Market has acquired leases from Safeway for seven locations formerly operated as Dominick's stores. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

Unilever U.S. has teamed up with the Fashion Institute of Technology’s Cosmetics and Fragrance Marketing and Management master's degree program to explore “the changing face of the beauty consumer.”

The Wet Seal board member Mindy C. Meads has resigned her spot to focus on her new role as CEO of Calypso St. Barth.

“Mindy has been a valued member of the board of directors and we wish her well in her future endeavors with Calypso St. Barth. Mindy’s leadership as chair of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee and her general contributions to the board were a value to the company and its shareholders,” said Lynda Davey, non-executive chairperson.