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If the eyes are the window to the soul, then Walmart’s suppliers are the window to its future thanks to the truly unique relationship the retailer enjoys with its trading partners. Walmart brought new meaning to the concept of collaboration when it pursued a strategy of data transparency decades ago that enabled fact-based decision making.

Washington – After a solid start to the holiday season, the National Retail Federation announced that it is revising its holiday forecast to 3.3%, up from 2.3%. The upward revision is due to improvement in a variety of economic indicators including stock market gains, recent income growth, savings built up during the recession - all giving consumers the capacity to spend.  

PLANO, Texas - Two members of the Dr Pepper Snapple Group executive leadership team have been promoted to the level of executive vice president, the company announced.

Effective Jan. 1, 2011, David Thomas, Ph.D., is EVP research and development, and Tina Barry becomes EVP corporate affairs. Both continue to report directly to Larry Young, DPS president and CEO.

Washington, D.C. -- A report released Tuesday by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates said that import cargo volume at the nation’s major retail container ports is expected to be up 9% in December over the same month last year, and 2010 should end with a 17% increase over last year.

Washington, D.C. -- The National Retail Federation announced Tuesday it has revised its holiday forecast upward, from 2.3% to 3.3%.

The NRF cited improvements in a variety of economic indicators -- including stock market gains, recent income growth and savings built up during the recession -- for the upward revision.

As announced earlier on Tuesday, November retail industry sales (which exclude automobiles, gas stations, and restaurants) increased 0.8% seasonally adjusted over October and 6.8% unadjusted over last year.

Dallas -- A Tuesday report by Bloomberg said that Zale Corp. is exploring the sale of its Piercing Pagoda kiosk business to focus on its fine jewelry operations.

Citing three unidentified sources, Bloomberg said that buyout firms including Apollo Global Management LLC are looking at the division. Piercing Pagoda generated more than $226 million in sales for the year ended July 31, and is said to be profitable.

Washington, D.C. -- A report released Tuesday by the U.S. Commerce Department said that inventories in the United States rose 0.7% in October, less than forecast. The rise was restrained by the biggest drop in retail stockpiles in more than a year as merchants had trouble keeping up with surging demand.

The increase in inventories compared with a 1.4% jump in sales in October that was the biggest gain in seven months, the Commerce Department said. The September increase in stockpiles was revised up to 1.3% from a previously reported 0.9% advance.

Hartford, Conn. -- Best Buy Co. has settled a Connecticut lawsuit that accused the retailer of advertising lower prices on some items on its website than at in-store kiosks, then overcharging customers at the stores.

Best Buy did not admit wrongdoing as part of the 2007 lawsuit's settlement, filed Monday in Hartford Superior Court. The retailer agreed to pay $399,000 to Connecticut's government general fund and reimburse affected customers for the difference between the online prices and the higher in-store kiosk prices they were charged.

Woonsocket, R.I. -- CVS/pharmacy said Tuesday it has launched a new CVS Express Photo App that allows Facebook users to order prints from their Facebook albums without leaving the website. The prints are ready for pick up in about an hour at users’ local CVS/pharmacy.

Despite the uncertain economic environment, retailers are continuing to invest in green measures, according to a new report by RSR Research. What’s more, the number of retailers who believe that environmentally responsible initiatives are born out of good business sense is on the rise, up to 61% in 2010 from 49% the previous year.