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BENTONVILLE, Ark. - As its latest Facebook campaign for hunger relief draws to a close, Walmart is encouraging last-minute "likes" that will help determine which of 100 U.S. cities will receive $1.5 million in grants. The "Fighting Hunger Together" Facebook campaign will end at 12 a.m. on Jan. 1 and is part of the company's $2 billion commitment to help fight hunger through 2015.

Camp Hill, Pa. -- Rite Aid Corp. reported Thursday that it narrowed its third-quarter loss to $81.5 million, compared with a $86.1 million loss a year ago. But revenue slid and the drugstore operator again lowered its full-year forecast.

Revenue fell 2% to $6.2 billion, in line with Wall Street expectations. Same-store sales dropped 1.3%.

BOCA RATON, Fla. - Office Depot announced that it has entered into an agreement to sell its Office Depot Japan business to Kakuyasu. The transaction also includes an agreement for Kakuyasu to license Office Depot’s trade names, obtain sourcing services and continue to support Office Depot’s global customers in Japan. Kakuyasu is one of the fastest growing and leading multi-channel businesses in Japan with FY 2009 sales of $775 million.

Office Depot Japan was established in 1996 and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Office Depot Inc. 

Boca Raton, Fla. -- Office Depot said Thursday it will sell its Japan business to Japanese distribution company Kakuyasu.

The transaction also includes an agreement for Kakuyasu to license Office Depot’s trade names, obtain sourcing services and continue to support Office Depot’s global customers in Japan. Kakuyasu is one of the fastest growing and leading multichannel businesses in Japan with fiscal-year 2009 sales of $775 million.

SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. — Stater Bros. on Wednesday disclosed a more than 4% decrease in sales for fiscal year 2010.

The California supermarket chain said sales for the fiscal year ended Sept. 26 were $3.61 billion, down from $3.77 billion in fiscal year 2009. Sales for the fourth quarter also experience a decline, dropping to $897.4 million, or 3.15%, since the year-ago period.

The word competition gets tossed around a lot in the retail industry as operators talk about market positioning -- who they do and don’t compete with. Oftentimes, companies will refer to direct competitors, but one thing about Walmart is that it has always tended to take the broad view of competition in that any company, no matter how small, who sold anything offered at Walmart was viewed as a competitor.

Walmart turned to Facebook to spread awareness of hunger with an innovative initiative to determine how $1.5 million in grant money will be divvied up among 100 U.S. cities, but the social media effort is ending soon and Walmart is encouraging last minute “likes” as the New Years Day deadline approaches.

Jacksonville, Fla. -- Shopping center owner and operator Regency Centers said Thursday it has acquired Willow Festival shopping center in what is the second largest retail real estate transaction in metro Chicago in 2010.

The 405,227-sq.-ft. Northbrook, Ill., shopping center is anchored by Lowe's, Whole Foods Market and Best Buy. The property was purchased on Dec. 15 for $64 million as an off-market transaction with the center's original developer Hamilton Partners, a privately owned real estate development firm.