News

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Target is teaming up with the United Way for the 22nd consecutive year to bring families in need some holiday cheer.

Target stores across the country will donate more than $200,000 worth of holiday trees to the charitable organization, as part of the Target Share-a-Tree Program. The United Way and its volunteers will distribute the trees to families in need, shelters, community centers and childcare programs.

Fort Mill, S.C. — Honeywell has introduced a next generation scanner said to offer retailers improved label reading properties and increase checkstand throughput.

ATLANTA — Dollar General is teaming up with InComm, a prepaid product and transaction services provider, to make life easier for online gamers.

Dollar General will offer Microsoft Xbox LIVE via PIN-on-receipt delivery across its network of more than 10,000 stores, making it easier for consumers to purchase Xbox LIVE points and Xbox LIVE Gold Memberships directly at the register, through InComm's recently launched Digital Delivery Application.

Anxiety over Amazon.com is at an all time high this holiday season and a top executive at Nordstrom shared insights recently on competing successfully.

Reston, Va. — Survey results released Monday by comScore revealed that the most recent work-week saw four individual days eclipse $1 billion in spending, led by Green Monday with $1.275 billion.

comScore, which has monitored holiday season retail e-commerce spending for the first 44 days of the November–December 2012 holiday season, reported that to date $33.8 billion has been spent online, marking a 13% increase versus the corresponding days last year.

LOS ANGELES — Blake Mycoskie, founder of the Toms shoe brand, has donated 100% of the proceeds from his bestselling book “Start Something That Matters.”

Mycoskie has established the Start Something That Matters Foundation with the book’s proceeds, approximately $300,000, to benefit social entrepreneurs and students around the world. The first three recipient organizations of the new fund are the Dell Social Innovation Challenge, Echoing Green and GOOD.is.

The Saatchi & Saatchi X division of the Publicis Groupe named three new executives focused on digital media.

Springdale, AR.-based Saatchi & Saatchi X said it hired Alan Segal as digital creative director, Brandon Viveiros as digital production director and Chance Chapman as senior digital strategist.

The Saatchi & Saatchi X division of the Publicis Groupe named three new executives focused on digital media.

Springdale, AR.-based Saatchi & Saatchi X said it hired Alan Segal as digital creative director, Brandon Viveiros as digital production director and Chance Chapman as senior digital strategist.

Jeremy Cage was named CEO of the global LED lighting firm Lighting Science Group.

Cage, 48, was selected to lead the company based on his experience in building major brands, his success in developing commercially-appealing technologies and bringing them to market, as well as his distinguished track record of strengthening business models and improving operational efficiencies, according to a statement by Lighting Science Group.

Cage replaces Brad Knight, who served as interim CEO while the board worked with an executive search firm. Knight will continue to serve as COO.

Minneapolis -- Investment firm Joh. A. Benckiser Group agreed to acquire Caribou Coffee Co. for approximately $340 million.

Caribou will continue to be based in Minneapolis and operate under its own brand and management, the companies said in a statement. As of September 30, 2012, the company had 610 coffeehouses, including 202 franchised locations, in 22 states, the District of Columbia and 10 international markets.