News

Mahwah, N.J. -- TD Retail Card Services announced that it has been selected as a preferred provider of private label credit services for members of Furniture First, a home furnishings and mattress purchasing cooperative with more than 175 retail furniture dealers operating over 360 locations nationwide.

Under the agreement, the Mahwah, N.J-based business unit of TD Bank, N.A., will offer a full range of private label credit products and services, custom financing options and special benefits to participating members of the co-op.

AMITYVILLE, N.Y. — Sundial has announced that Walgreens has become the exclusive national drug store retail partner for its SheaMoisture hair care line and will carry the products on shelf and online, beginning April 1.

"We are very excited to launch our newest collection at Walgreens," stated Richelieu Dennis, founder and CEO of Sundial Creations, maker of SheaMoisture. "They have been a key partner in the growth of our business and we are enthusiastic about bringing organic hair care products to such a broad consumer base."

NEW YORK -- Several bidders, including Dish Network Corp. and billionaire investor Carl Icahn, are ready to battle for Blockbuster at a bankruptcy auction in New York on Monday, the Associated Press reported. The chain, which filed Chapter 11 in February, has received several bids other than the opening bid of $290 million from a group of debtholders made in February.

Dish and Icahn have each submitted a bid, The Wall Street Journal reported Friday.

NEW YORK — Retailers rank supreme for their customer service, according to a new report by the Temkin Group.

 The consulting and research firm analyzed responses from 6,000 consumers, found that Amazon.com ranked No. 1 for providing an "excellent" customer experience, coming in with a ranking of 81.3%. A business qualifies for an "excellent" rating when their score is 80% or higher, Temkin said.

New York City -- Urban Outfitters has been sued by a shareholder who alleges company officials misled investors before the stock declined, Bloomberg reported.

The retailer wrongly led shareholders to believe business was going well until March 7, when it reported earnings of 13% less than analysts had suggested, Edward Koller III claims in a lawsuit filed yesterday in federal court in Philadelphia, the report said. Shares fell 17% the next day, Koller said.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — The National Association of Chain Drug Stores has hired Julie Philp as director of federal affairs to bring additional pharmacy and legislative expertise to the government affairs team. She joins NACDS on April 11.

"Julie is a seasoned advocate with experience in pharmacy and on Capitol Hill, and she will bring a wealth of expertise to NACDS," stated NACDS president and CEO Steve Anderson. "NACDS members will enjoy working with Julie, and we are pleased to welcome her to NACDS' highly effective team."

GRAPEVINE, Texas -- GameStop has acquired Spawn Labs, a streaming technology company. In addition, GameStop announced it has entered into an agreement to purchase Impulse, a subsidiary of Stardock Systems, and a leader in digital distribution. The Impulse acquisition is subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to close in May.

WAYNE, N.J. — A company that specializes in "As Seen on TV" products has named a new chief operating officer.

Ron Boger, who currently serves as EVP of IdeaVillage, will take on the COO role. He will work with company founder Anand Khubani in launching new and innovative products in the mass market.

Boger is credited with bringing such products as SlimShots, Yoshi ceramic knife, Fushigi ball, and Criss Angel MindFreak magic kits and tricks and more under the IdeaVillage banner and into the mass market.