News

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. — Among the highlights of the first Sears Holdings shareholder meeting since Edward Lampert became chairman and CEO were details on the company's progress in combining its brick-and-mortar and online businesses.

ST. LOUIS — Build-A-Bear Workshop reported increased net income and sales the first quarter of 2013 compared to the same quarter a year earlier, despite closing some stores. The retailer’s adjusted net income rose to $2.3 million, compared to an adjusted net loss of $500,000 in the first quarter of last year.

Consolidated net retail sales were $102.9 million with 24 fewer stores compared to $95.2 million in the first quarter of 2012, an increase of 8% excluding the impact of foreign exchange. Consolidated same-store sales increased 10.4%.

Walmart’s commitment earlier this year to hire 100,000 veterans over the next five years prompted the USO to award Walmart U.S. COO Gisel Ruiz its 2013 Woman of the Year Distinguished Service Award.

Ruiz was presented with the award at the USO’s 47th annual luncheon where she said the honor was humbling and a surprise.

Walmart and Sam’s Club are scheduled to hold the 8th Annual Sustainable Packaging Exposition next week at the John Q. Hammons Center in Rogers, Ar.

PALO ALTO, Calif. — Deliv, the same-day, low cost delivery service that partners directly with large retailers, has appointed former Amazon progressive supply chain executive Michael Hart to VP of logistics.

LOS ANGELES — Consumers Union, the policy and advocacy arm of Consumer Reports, is taking aim at Trader Joe’s in a full page ad it took out in the Los Angeles Times.

The union is calling out Trader Joe's for selling meat and poultry from animals raised on antibiotics. The ad highlights how the overuse of antibiotics by the meat and poultry industries on healthy animals is promoting the spread of drug resistant superbugs that threaten public health. 

CINCINNATI, Ohio — Kimberly-Clark has completed the migration of its North American Vendor Managed Inventory program to the Datalliance VMI platform, on which it will manage its consumer brands for 15 retail partners.

BRENTWOOD, Tenn. — Tractor Supply Company, the largest retail farm and ranch store chain in the United States, has announced that its board increased the company's quarterly cash dividend 30% to $0.26 per share.

Dick's Sporting Goods has named former ConAgra executive Andre J. Hawaux as its new EVP of finance and administration and CFO. Hawaux will oversee Finance, Legal, Strategic Planning and Risk and Compliance. He succeeds Timothy Kullman, who is retiring, in June.

Hawaux has more than 30 years of experience, most recently as president of consumer foods at ConAgra, one of North America's leading packaged food companies. Previously, he served as ConAgra Foods' EVP and CFO and was responsible for the company's finance and information system and services organizations.

Kellogg’s North American first quarter results were solid, but its performance overseas, particularly in the U.K., helped bolster its results. The company reported net sales of $4 billion, an increase of 12%. Meanwhile, internal net sales, which exclude the effects of foreign currency translation, acquisitions, dispositions and integration costs, rose by 2.2 percent over the same period.