News

PHOENIX, Ariz. — The Global Market Development Center, the trade group for health, beauty, wellness and general merchandise retailers, announced that it has awarded its 2011 Lifetime Achievement Award to Terry Cox, retired group VP at Kroger, at its Health Beauty Wellness Marketing Conference in Phoenix, Ariz.

ATLANTA — Canada's importance to the retail industry continues to grow, made evident by the recent news that Office Depot has engaged ShopVisible, a leading provider of on-demand e-commerce, social commerce, and mobile commerce solutions, to launch the retailer’s new Canadian-facing e-commerce site.

MINNEAPOLIS — Target announced that it has donated $60,000 to assist with Texas wildfire relief efforts. A $25,000 cash donation was made to the American Red Cross with the additional cash and product donations made to other nonprofit organizations in the Texas area.

Target teams provided 12,000 bottles of water, 3,600 bottles of Gatorade, and 500 boxes of snacks to Bastrop Public Works yard last week, along with donations of clothes, diapers, toiletries and bedding to support wildfire relief efforts, the company reported.

Corte Madera, Calif. -- Restoration Hardware Holdings filed plans to return to the public stock market. In a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the company said it intends to offer up to $150 million in common shares to repay debt and for general corporate purposes.

Target and the Heart of America Foundation unveiled a completely redesigned library to students, teachers and parents at P.S. 299 Thomas Warren Field School last week in New York. Servicemen and women from local police and fire departments were on hand to help put the finishing touches on the space at an event that honored local heroes – Brooklyn police officers and fire fighters. Target presented one police officer and one fire fighter with a “Hero of the Heart Award,” which will serve as a special tribute to their dedication to service and the community. 

Fashion newness is all around this fall with interesting merchandising initiatives pitting designers, celebrities and retailers against one another to determine which approach will resonate strongest with consumers.

It was steady as she goes for Target and many other retailers in terms of circular promotional activity in August, according to the last marketing insights from Market Track. There were a few instances where the number of pages per circular increased noticeably even if the number of circulars distributed was fairly consistent. For example, Walmart, Safeway and Best Buy saw the largest increase in pages while Lowe’s, JCPenney and Home Depot were the biggest decliners.

HOUSTON — Stage Stores has announced that Mike Searles has joined the company as president and COO of its South Hill division, which is headquartered in South Hill, Va. Searles, who will report to Rich Maloney, EVP and chief merchandising officer, will be responsible for all operations of the South Hill division, including merchandising, planning and allocation, and store operations.