News

New York – Private equity firm KKR & Co. LP has reportedly dropped out of the auction for Jones Group Inc. According to Reuters, KKR, in partnership with private equity group Sycamore Partners LLP, was the only entity trying to buy the entire Jones Group company.

Bidding continues on parts of Jones Group and the company is soliciting new bids. It is not clear whether Sycamore Group will continue to bid on part or all of Jones Group and KKR, Sycamore Group and Jones Group did not comment in the article.

Camp Hill, Pa. - Rite Aid Corporation has been named the first national retail partner of text4baby, a free text-messaging service for pregnant women and mothers of infants under age 1. Rite Aid will use circular ads, in-store displays and social media to educate pregnant women and new mothers about text4baby.

Oak Brook, Ill. -- McDonald’s Corporation is partnering with the Alliance for a Healthier Generation, founded by the Clinton Foundation and American Heart Association, to increase customers’ access to fruit and vegetables and help customers make informed choices in the nutritional value of their orders.

Walmart was quick to sever ties with Paula Deen earlier this year, but the extent of the company’s outrage over her racist comments wasn’t sufficient to warrant immediately rooting the disgraced Food Network Star’s merchandise from its supply chain.

PetSmart's board of directors has approved a motion to increase the company's quarterly dividend by 18% from $0.16 to $0.19 per share beginning in the third quarter.

The dividend of $0.195 will be paid Nov. 15 to stockholders of record at the close of business Nov. 1. This is equivalent to an annual rate of $0.78 per share.

First it was sustainability, then came hunger and the affordability of quality food, women’s economic empowerment and now support of U.S. manufacturing. Walmart contends it has a responsibility to lead in these areas and others, but whether it is truly doing so is the subject of some debate.

In anticipation of increased store traffic this holiday shopping season, Jo-Ann has announced plans to hire more than 3,000 seasonal employees in stores across the country — a 14% increase over its non-seasonal in-store workforce.

Sales at Indianapolis-based athletic footwear and apparel retailer Finish Line grew 13.3% to $436 million and earnings per share increase 10.2% to 54 cents, nine cents better than analysts forecast for the period ended August 31.

Company chairman and CEO Glenn Lyon characterized the performance as solid, and credited a 0.9% comp increase and expense control for profit growth.

SGK, formerly marketed as Schawk, Inc., a leading global brand development, activation and deployment company, has appointed Scott Lucas to the new position of managing director, brand development to oversee its Brandimage and Anthem operations in Cincinnati.

Consumer packaged goods companies are poised to gain a more robust offering of shopper insights from an expanded relationship between TiVo Research and Analytics and DunnhumbyUSA.