News

Home Depot expects to be busy this spring and is hiring 80,000 seasonal employees, 10,000 more than last year, to keep pace with the demand.

The hiring announcement by Home Depot follows a similar announcement by Lowe’s two weeks earlier that it planned to hire 45,000 seasonal employees. The increased hiring levels suggest the nation’s two largest home improvement retailers are optimistic about consumers demand amid a recovery in the housing market.

Zillow has launched an iPad app and a Web site focused on the home improvement marketplace to provide inspiration, price transparency and lead generation for contractors.

TAMPA, Fla. — Retail Sense, a marketing software company, has entered into a multi-year contract with Associated Wholesale Grocers, a retailer-owned cooperative serving over 2,500 retail stores, to implement its IntelliSence marketing resource management solution.

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. — Kmart has partnered with Essence Magazine's finance expert, Tanisha Sykes, for the sixth-annual Share the Word campaign to provide financial empowerment to African-Americans.

"Financial empowerment is extremely important within the African-American community," Sykes said. "This year's Share the Word campaign will provide the tools, information and resources to help pave the road to financial success."

WOONSOCKET, R.I. — CVS Caremark executives expressed optimism Wednesday morning as the company posted record fourth-quarter results, raised its 2013 guidance and continues to work to leverage its distinctive business model to help people on their path to better health amid a rapidly changing healthcare environment.

BENTONVILLE, Ark. — Walmart and Mother Nature Network are inviting people to use Twitter to express their green ideas for the chance to win a $100 Walmart gift card.

SEATTLE — Sally Jewell, CEO of REI, has been nominated as Secretary of the Interior. 

Sally has led REI as CEO since 2005 and during that time has provided steady leadership for the co-op and its thoughtful growth. During her tenure REI has increased sales from $1 billion to nearly $2 billion, added 71 stores, and greatly expanded its online business. Under Sally's leadership, the company has been named annually to Fortune Magazine's list of the Best Companies to Work For.

CITY OF COMMERCE, Calif. — 99 Cents Only Stores reported that net sales for the third quarter increased $35.6 million, or 8.8%, to $439.5 million for the third quarter of fiscal 2013 compared to $403.9 million for the third quarter of fiscal 2012. Same-store sales increased 4.3%.  

Chicago -- Seventy-eight percent of those who celebrate Valentine’s Day plan to shop a week or less before the actual day, and still many wait until Feb. 13 or Feb. 14 to purchase, finds recent by The NPD Group.

Women do not begin their Valentine’s Day shopping much earlier than men; one-in-three female buyers (32%) wraps up her shopping Feb. 13-14, and 47% of men made their final Valentine’s Day purchase on Feb. 13 or 14, according to NPD’s SnackTrack Holidays Valentine’s Day Profile.

By Gary Glick, partner, Cox, Castle & Nicholson LLP