News

New York -- Sales of Halloween candy, decorations and other items may not reach the $8 billion mark anticipated earlier by the National Retail Federation as Hurricane Sandy turned consumers’ attentions elsewhere.

BOCA RATON, Fla. — Office Depot's board of directors have approved a rights agreement and declared a dividend distribution of one preferred stock purchase right for each outstanding share of company common stock. Each right initially represents the right to purchase 1/5,000th of a share of company preferred stock at $11.50. Also, initially, these purchase rights will not be exercisable and will trade with the shares of the company’s common stock. The rights agreement will expire on Oct. 23, 2013.

Boca Raton, Fla. -- Office Depot Inc. said Tuesday it has approved a poison pill defense to preclude investor Starboard Value LP from waging a takeover of the company.

The activist investor became the office-supply retailer’s largest shareholder last month and has begun pushing for changes.

The poison pill is a shareholder rights plan that would give its investors additional shares if one entity surpasses 15% ownership. Starboard owned 14.8% as of Oct. 12.

OAKLAND, Calif. — The Clorox Co. on Tuesday announced that COO Lawrence Peiros, 57, will retire from the company effective April 1, 2013.

Peiros, who joined Clorox in 1980 as a summer intern, was appointed a member of the company's executive committee in 1999 and then to the COO role in 2007. He also oversees the marketing, sales, research & development and product supply functions as well as Clorox's Eco office.

St. Petersburg, Fla. -- Multichannel retailer HSN Inc. reported Wednesday that net income for the third quarter dropped 27.2% to $17.7 million, from $24.3 million in the year-ago period. Results still beat Wall Street projections.

Revenue rose 7.1% to $778.8 million, beating analysts’ estimated $747.1 million in revenue.

The company has now seen profit fall in two consecutive quarters, but it has beaten Wall Street estimates for three quarters in a row.

MOORESVILLE, N.C. — Lowe’s is donating $1 million to disaster relief and rebuilding efforts in communities affected by Hurricane Sandy. Lowe’s will work with its national nonprofit partners to provide both immediate and long-term support to local communities across the Northeast.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Baker & Taylor, a distributor of digital and physical books and entertainment products, announced that it has enhanced its popular Axis 360 digital media platform by releasing a mobile version. The mobile version of Axis 360 is designed to leverage the functionality of native Web browsers built into multi-function devices, smartphones and tablets running on the iOS, Android and BlackBerry operating systems.

Bentonville, Ark. -- Wal-Mart Stores Inc. released a statement on Tuesday that none of its facilities have sustained any significant damage from Hurricane Sandy.

Some 168 stores remain closed, said the retailer, but some will be reopening with the use of generators.

The company also said that the superstorm has not had an impact on holiday planning at this point.