News

New York  -- Jones Group Inc. reported a higher-than-expected quarterly profit, helped by a rise in sales of shoes and jeans to U.S. department stores, which helped make up for a big  drop in business at its own stores.
  
Third-quarter revenue slipped 0.7% to $1.035 billion as sales at the company's U.S. stores were down 6.7%.
   

MAHWAH, N.J. — The Fred Meyer Jewelers division of Kroger Co. has selected TD Retail Card Services to take over the private label credit card program for its Fred Meyer Jewelers and Littman Jewelers stores.

Under the agreement, the  business unit of TD will direct all facets of the program for the company's 344 fine jewelry stores in 32 states. 
 

PLANO, Texas — JCPenny is offering customers a free family photo throughout the month of November.

Located in approximately 530 jcpenney stores, JCP portraits studios' free offer includes sitting fees, a traditional printed 8x10 portrait as well as a digital copy of the same pose to share with friends and family. In addition, at the time of their sitting, customers may select and order 36 or more 4x7 greeting cards featuring their new photo at a low price of 50 cents per card during the month of November.

BENTONVILLE, Ark. — Sam's Club, via its Simply Right wellness brand, has donated $500,000 to Vitamin Angels, a non-profit organization dedicated to increasing availability, access and use of micronutrients among at-risk populations in need. The monetary donation will help Vitamin Angels expand their efforts to reach at-risk children age five and under with vitamin A and daily multivitamins and pregnant or breastfeeding women with prenatal vitamins around the world and domestically.

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. — Sears Holdings' board of directors has approved the previously announced spin-off of a portion of its interest in Sears Canada Inc. 

DALLAS — The Network of Executive Women, Consumer Products and Retail Industry has elected Chicago-area resident Catherine Linder, former VP retail marketing for Walgreens, to serve as board chair. Lindner was elected at the Network's annual members meeting at the NEW Leadership Summit on Oct. 22 in Dallas.

Annie Zipfel, division VP customer marketing for Kent, Washington-based REI, was elected board vice chair. Zipfel most recently served as the Network’s chair, marketing and communications.

MINNEAPOLIS — Target will no longer have to worry about the impact of its consumer credit card portfolio on its financial performance, now that it has agreed to sell the business to TD Bank Group.

AUSTIN, Texas — Software solutions provider Starmount has named Richard Mader, president of Mader International Consulting and director emeritus of the Association for Retail Technology Standards (ARTS), to its board of directors.

As executive director of ARTS, a division of the National Retail Federation (NRF) — a position he held from 1999 to 2012 — Mader led the development of industry standards that would lower the costs of retail technology.

NEW YORK — Joel Lamp, senior associate general counsel for global e-commerce at Walmart, will deliver the keynote address at the 10th Annual General Counsel Conference West Coast on Oct. 30 to 31 at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in San Francisco. The event is hosted each year by American Lawyer Media's Corporate Counsel magazine.

Lamp is expectd to speak aboout Walmart's e-commerce initiatives and its effect on the traditional retail store, as well as a discussion of important privacy, security and compliance requirements.

FORT WORTH, Texas — RadioShack reported that total sales for its third quarter were $1 billion, compared with $1.03 billion last year. Comparable-store sales were down 1.6%.

The retailer reported a net loss of $47 million, or 47 cents per diluted share, compared with net income of $0.3 million last year.