News

ARLINGTON, Va. — Consumers are growing more confident in technology and plan on spending more in this area, according to the latest CEA Index released today by the Consumer Electronics Association. The CEA Index also showed that consumer confidence in the overall economy improved this month.

TORONTO — Walmart Canada is leading the search for the next great business idea through its second annual Green Student Challenge.

The retailer is looking for teams of post-secondary students from across the country to convince some of Canada's most successful business leaders that they have the most compelling breakthrough idea to change business as we know it. A total of $100,000 in cash will be awarded including $25,000 to the winners and $25,000 to the winners' school.

New York -- A holiday preview report released Tuesday by the International Council of Shopping Centers said that sales are forecasted to rise 3% during the traditional November-December 2012 holiday period.

Additionally, ICSC said it anticipates that the other two measures of U.S. industry holiday sales – shopping-center sales and GAFO-store sales – will increase slightly as well.  

OMAHA, Neb. — ConAgra Foods is expanding its facility in Russellville, Ark. to make Bertolli brand and P.F. Chang’s brand frozen meals. The expansion, anticipated to be a $100 million investment, is expected to create more than 80 jobs.

CHICAGO — Beverage maker Phusion Projects has named Grammy Award winning musician T-Pain as a partner in the Moskato Life brand.

Foothill Ranch, Calif. -- On the heels of activist investor The Clinton Group’s announced plans to replace some of Wet Seal’s board members, the retailer is advising its shareholders against supporting the move.

WOONSOCKET, R.I. — Summer Infant, a juvenile products manufacturer, today has retained Sharon Merrill (www.InvestorRelations.com), a nationally recognized investor relations and corporate communications firm based in Boston, to provide strategic investor relations services.

San Jose, Calif. -- VeriFone Systems said Tuesday that The Finish Line is deploying VeriFone’s latest mobile checkout and multimedia-driven countertop payment solutions.

Following a successful trial, Finish Line is currently deploying VeriFone systems chainwide with the goal of having all 638 locations equipped by mid-November when the holiday buying season begins. Finish Line is deploying 1,600 of the countertop multimedia MX 915 systems and 3,200 PAYware Mobile Enterprise secure mobile card acceptance devices for the iPod touch.