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(CBS News) J.C. Penney is trying to rebuild its customer base with help from a new spokeswoman, Ellen DeGeneres. But a group called One Million Moms is accusing the company of "jumping on the pro-gay bandwagon." DeGeneres responded to the group on her TV show Wednesday, saying, "I'm happy about (being the spokesperson) J.C. Penney is happy about it. But there's this group called One Million Moms that is not happy about it. And normally I try not to pay attention to my haters, but this time I'd like to talk about it because my haters are my motivators. This...

Recently JC Penney announced that comedian Ellen Degeneres will be the company's new spokesperson. Funny that JC Penney thinks hiring an open homosexual spokesperson will help their business when most of their customers are traditional families. More sales will be lost than gained unless they replace their spokesperson quickly. Unless JC Penney decides to be neutral in the culture war then their brand transformation will be unsuccessful. Their marketing strategy is to help families shop and receive a good value for their money. Degeneres is not a true representation of the type of families that shop at their store. The...

Supermarket chain Walmart is to dispense with the outdoor 'people greeters' who have traditionally welcomed customers outside its stores. The retailer got rid of its night-shift greeters four months ago, and now intends to move day-shift staff inside its shops. Known for welcoming shoppers with 'a cart and a smile,' the greeters have been a feature of the chain's customer service since 1980, when the store's founder decided that 'aggressive hospitality' would help set it apart from competitors. While many staff have expressed fears that their jobs will soon be scrapped, Walmart spokesman David Tovar said, 'they're not going anywhere'....

CINCINNATI (AP) — Macy's Inc. says it will close five Macy's and four Bloomingdale's stores that are underperforming. Clearance sales will begin at the stores Sunday and run for 10 weeks. More than 830 workers will be affected by the closings — 375 at Macy's stores and 463 at Bloomingdale's. But many may have the option of taking jobs at new stores the company plans to open. The closing Macy's stores are in Topeka, Kan.; Laurel, Md.; Parma, Ohio; Antioch, Tenn.; and Texas City, Texas. The Bloomingdale's closures are in Atlanta; Oak Brook, Ill.; North Bethesda, Md.; and in the...

Twice in the past week, victims have defended themselves during attempted crimes with gunfire. In the latest incident, a masked man walked into an Oceanfront 7-Eleven early Tuesday morning, flashed a gun and demanded money, according to a police news release. The clerk, who was working with his son, responded by walking to the register and pulling out his own gun. When the would-be robber made an aggressive gesture, the clerk fired, striking the man, who fled from the store at 3908 Atlantic Ave., according to the release. About a half-hour later, around 1:30 a.m., a man suffering from a...

Electronics retailer Best Buy is headed for the exits. I can’t say when exactly, but my guess is that it’s only a matter of time, maybe a few more years. Consider a few key metrics. Despite the disappearance of competitors including Circuit City, the company is losing market share. Its last earnings announcement disappointed investors. In 2011, the company’s stock has lost 40% of its value. It’s forward P/E is a mere 6.23 (industry average is 10.20). Its market cap down to less than $9 billion. Its average analyst rating, according to The Street.com, is a B-. Those are just...

Sears Holdings Corp. said Tuesday it will close 100 to 120 of its full-line Sears and Kmart stores as it struggles to attract shoppers. Sales for the fourth quarter are off a disappointing 5.2 percent compared with last year. “Given our performance and the difficult economic environment, especially for big-ticket items, we intend to implement a series of actions to reduce on-going expenses, adjust our asset base, and accelerate the transformation of our business model. These actions will better enable us to focus our investments on serving our customers and members through integrated retail – at the store, online and...

Earlier we just got confirmation out of Best Buy that one can not, as expected, offset negative margins with near-infinite volume (as the stock tumbles). Now we get advance retail sales proving that all speculation about a record Black Friday was just that. Oh, and a lie. In short - everything missed. Advance retails sales in November (including Thanksgiving) came at 0.2%, on expectations of 0.6%, and down from a revised 0.6%. Retail sales less autos was 0.2%, half of the expected 0.4%, while ex Auto and Gas also printed at 0.2%, also missing big. So... where did all...

As the Christmas shopping season begins full swing, AFA and OneMillionMoms.com has prepared its annual "Naughty or Nice" retailer list. We have taken the top 100 national retailers and reviewed their websites, media advertising and in-store signage in an effort to help you know which companies are Christmas-friendly. Over the past five years, your AFA/OMM has stood firm in the "War on Christmas." Companies who once refused to acknowledge Christmas now have Christmas "shops" inside their stores. Many of them now liberally use "Christmas" in their advertising and in-store signage. Sadly, there are still some companies which refuse to use...

The holiday shopping season got off to a strong start on Black Friday, with retail sales up 7 percent over last year, according to the most recent survey. Now stores just have to keep buyers coming back without the promise of door-buster savings. Buyers spent $11.4 billion at retail stores and malls, up nearly $1 billion from last year, according to a Saturday report from ShopperTrak. It was the largest amount ever spent on the day that marks the beginning of the holiday shopping season, and the biggest year-over-year increase since 2007. Chicago-based ShopperTrak gathers data from 25,000 outlets across...

The holiday shopping season got off to a strong start on Black Friday, with retail sales up 7 percent over last year, according to the most recent survey. Now stores just have to keep buyers coming back without the promise of door-buster savings. Buyers spent $11.4 billion at retail stores and malls, up nearly $1 billion from last year, according to a Saturday report from ShopperTrak. It was the largest amount ever spent on the day that marks the beginning of the holiday shopping season, and the biggest year-over-year increase since 2007. Chicago-based ShopperTrak gathers data from 25,000 outlets across...

<p>MIC CHECK! Citizens of Walmart!! Greetings and welcome back from the food coma!! In the spirit of holiday giving, we believe a discussion is in order about the meaning of value and low cost. For every low-priced product purchased at Walmart, your communities pay the difference. Every price drop represents mistreated workers who STILL cannot feed their families, STILL cannot afford their homes, and STILL cannot payoff their tuitions. Every sweet deal can be attributed to our jobs being outsourced from American communities. Each item on sale helps bankrupt small businesses. YOU, YOUR COMMUNITIES, AND YOUR WORKERS ARE BEING ABUSED!! Walmart intentionally underemploys, forgoing REAL benefits for social services, costing California taxpayers $86 million annually. Walmart employees are overworked, underpaid, and left under-insured in poor and unsafe conditions. Walmart could fire its employees for the mere mention of forming a workers union; which is the best tool American workers have to protect their rights. Corporate beasts such as this one bleed our communities dry by putting the local business owners, who actually have personal stake in your communities, at a disadvantage against these gluttonous juggernauts. Yet they have the nerve to tell you it's for your benefit. WE DO NOT HAVE TO BUY THE SCAM!! WE DO NOT HAVE TO BUY DOLLAR-COLLARS FOR OUR FAMILIES!! WE DO NOT HAVE TO BUY ANY OF THIS!! SELF-MADE GIFTS HAVE MORE POWER ANYWAY!! So this holiday season, give yourselves, your families, and your communities the gift of empowerment!! ACT LOCALLY!! SHOP SMALL BUSINESS!! BUY AMERICAN!! Thank you, Exit Safely, and remember to smile...</p>

Twenty people, including children, were injured when a woman at a San Fernando Valley Walmart store used mace against other customers in what authorities referred to as a "competitive shopping" incident.

In a push to expand across California without interference, Walmart is increasingly taking advantage of the state's initiative system to threaten elected officials with costly special elections and to avoid environmental lawsuits. The Arkansas-based retailer has hired paid signature gatherers to circulate petitions to build new superstores or repeal local restrictions on big-box stores. Once 15 percent of eligible voters sign the petitions, state election law puts cash-strapped cities in a bind: City councils must either approve the Walmart-drafted measure without changes or put it to a special election. As local officials grapple with whether to spend tens of thousands...

The holiday shopping season starts in earnest on Thursday, with retailers anxious to see if U.S. consumers are willing to spend despite an endless stream of scary headlines about the fragile economy and their own precarious finances. However, in the eyes of retailers, the shopping period has been churning along for some time as retailers like Walmart Stores [WMT 56.64 -0.21 (-0.37%) ] and Toys R Us started early by offering layaway programs, and others offering major deals to lure shoppers. These incentives have increased the stakes for retailers, and when Americans are done with their turkey dinners on Thursday,...

America’s economy may not have a spring in its step, but at least it’s steady on its feet after a recession scare just a few months ago. The recent pace may not be sustainable, though. Instead, the U.S. may be enjoying an Indian summer, with the economy briefly heating up in the fall before cooling back down.

Headline only as original source is Bloomberg News.

NEW YORK — Wal-Mart announced a new strategy that it hopes will pull in procrastinators early by giving them a big incentive: a guarantee that they'll get the lowest price no matter when they buy during the holiday season. The discounter said Monday it will match prices on many of its products. Shoppers who buy something at a Walmart store between Nov. 1 and Dec. 25, but then find the identical product elsewhere for less, can get a gift card in the amount of the difference. The offer excludes some items, such as groceries. To qualify, shoppers need to bring...

“Electric car On verdant green Invent a turn Invent a dream Electric car The new machine…”So go the lyrics to a recent popular children’s song — aptly titled “Electric Car” — by 80s nerd rock band They Might be Giants. Proof that even at so young an age, we are being indoctrinated into the delights and benefits of electric vehicles. But is this “new machine” a genuine reality for our country and can convenience retailers carve out profitable space for the technology on their lots? “It’s a safe bet that consumers will eventually swap their gas-powered cars and trucks for...

For more than a year, the American Family Association has pleaded with Home Depot (HD) not to publicly back gay rights. The home improvement retailer has ignored those pleas. In fact, the Atlanta-based company continues to participate in the city's gay pride parade, as it has done for years.

...The Labor Department said the consumer price index rose a seasonally adjusted 0.3% last month, pushing the increase over the past 12 months up to 3.9% from 3.8% in August... The core rate of inflation, meanwhile, rose a smaller 0.1% in September, keeping its 12-month increase at 2.0%. It was the smallest increase since March. Economists surveyed by MarketWatch had forecast consumer price index, which tracks inflation at the retail level, to rise by 0.3% in September. The core rate was expected to increase by 0.2%

...Retail sales rose a seasonally adjusted 1.1% last month, the Commerce Department said. Economists surveyed by MarketWatch expected an increase of 0.8%... Excluding the auto sector, sales rose 0.6%, but that was still higher than market expectations of a 0.4% increase...

Inventories at U.S. businesses rose 0.4% in July...Business sales rose 0.7%...The inventory-to-sales ratio declined to 1.27 in July from 1.28 in the prior month.

Retail sales were steady in August, as consumers spent more on essentials at gas stations and grocery stores, but less on cars, according to government data released Wednesday... Excluding the volatile auto segment, sales rose 0.1%. Economists surveyed by MarketWatch had expected an increase of 0.3% for the overall number, as well as for the data excluding autos.

Some observers have noted that history doesn't always repeat itself, but that it does tend to rhyme. This was first alleged about geopolitics, but it appears to be true in many areas of life: the cycle of economic boom and bust, climactic cycles, from La Nina and El Nino to glaciations, and even management fads ("Empty what's full; fill what's empty; and scratch where it itches.") In particular, one can see such occurrences play out over time in the retail sector. When I was young, there were comparatively few chain stores, and most of those were regional, not national. (This...

Forecasters don't expect Hurricane Irene to make landfall until Saturday. But for nearly a week now, big-box retailers like Walmart and Home Depot have been getting ready. They've deployed hundreds of trucks carrying everything from plywood to Pop-Tarts to stores in the storm's path. It's all possible because these retailers have turned hurricane preparation into a science — one that government emergency agencies have begun to embrace.At Home Depot's Hurricane Command Center in Atlanta, for example, about 100 associates have been trying to anticipate how Irene will affect its East Coast stores from the Carolinas to New York.At times like...

WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) — Consumers spent more money in July on a wide variety of goods, marking the biggest one-month increase in retail sales since the spring. Retail sales rose a seasonally adjusted 0.5% last month, the largest increase since April, the Commerce Department said Friday. Economists surveyed by MarketWatch had expected sales to increase 0.7% overall.

Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) will introduce a bill on Friday to allow states to require online retailers to collect sales taxes. The measure has the support of online giant Amazon. Sens. Tim Johnson (D-S.D.) and Jack Reed (D- R.I.) will co-sponsor the bill, titled the Main Street Fairness Act. Reps. John Conyers (D-Mich.) and Peter Welch (D-Vt.) will introduce a companion bill in the House. Supporters of the bill argue it will close a loophole that allows online purchases to go untaxed, giving an advantage to online retailers over traditional, brick-and-mortar stores. “Our bill levels the playing field to give...

A retail recession wouldn’t exactly qualify as unexpected, given today’s numbers on durable-goods orders and inventories, but Burt Flickinger says it’s just the beginning. CNBC quotes the analyst as predicting a retail recession that will last through the end of next year, thanks to high unemployment and a confidence crisis in the economy, as well as an end to extended jobless benefits: Burt Flickinger, managing director of retail consultantcy Strategic Resource Group, said the US has just entered a 500-day retail recession, and before it’s over, the US will see weaker retail sales, more store closures andeven additional retailers joining...

Borders Group Inc. said it would liquidate after the second-largest U.S. bookstore chain failed to receive any offers to save it. Borders, which employs about 10,700 people, scrapped a bankruptcy-court auction scheduled for Tuesday amid the dearth of bids. The chain said it will ask a judge Thursday to approve a sale to liquidators led by Hilco Merchant Resources and Gordon Brothers Group. The liquidation of the company's remaining 399 stores could start as soon as Friday, and the chain is expected to go out of business for good by the end of September, the company said.

WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) — Sales at U.S. retailers increased a slim 0.1% in June, the Commerce Department estimated Thursday, better than economists expected but also further evidence of the reluctance of consumers to spend. The slight increase in June sales was unexpected. Ahead of the report, economists surveyed by MarketWatch expected sales to fall 0.2%. There were several cross-currents in the data. The increases were heaviest in sales of building materials and department stores. Gasoline sales were a large drag as expected because of the recent decline in prices at the pump.

More stores across the U.S. that offer deeply-discounted products are seeing their sales decline after years of growth amid America’s “Great Recession” — and one analyst said on Monday it’s another sign of even deeper downturn. SNIP “I think what’s going on in those stores is that we are in a depression for 80 percent of Americans,” SNIP “In other words, the economy is continuing to be worse, the Obama depression continues to explode,” he added.

Home Depot petitions delivered - see their response June 6, 2011 On Thursday, June 3, American Family Association delivered 474,161 petition signatures to Home Depot chairman Frank Blake. AFA also addressed the board of directors and shareholders during their annual meeting. AFA Vice-president Buddy Smith appealed to Chairman Blake to review Home Depot's extensive support for homosexual activism and direct the company toward neutrality in the culture war. Chairman Blake quickly discounted the petitions by reaffirming Home Depot's commitment to dedicating corporate resources to groups who advocate gay marriage and the advancement of homosexuality and transgenderism.

NEW YORK — The parent of Kmart stores is laying off 700 employees working in Kmart's appliance departments as it changes how the stores sell refrigerators, ovens and other appliances. Kmart spokesman Chris Brathwaite says the move will allow customers to check out appliances at any register rather than going to a dedicated register for appliances. But there also won't be any specialized appliance-only staff people on hand near appliances. Instead, all Kmart staffers are being trained to answer questions about appliances. There will also be a 1-800 number customers can call for help. The moves affect appliance specialists in...

<p>The drop in auto sales was 2.9 percent, the sharpest drop in 15 months. But it was due, in large part, to temporary factors: Buyers received fewer dealer incentives, and dealers ran short on popular fuel-efficient models. The natural disasters in Japan disrupted shipments of cars and component parts to the United States.</p>

Michelle Obama cannot seem to make her mind up if she likes expensive designers or cheap chains. Also known for wearing H&M and Target, the First Lady boarded a helicopter on Friday sporting a 'Impressionist Print Draped Dress' from Gap, retailing at $29.99. Her choice of cheaper chain clothing during times of recession makes endears her to a cash-strapped public. Not one to stick to a genre, she is also often spotted in very expensive attire from designers such as Alexander McQueen and Tracy Feith. Leaving the White House bound for presidential retreat Camp David, the style-queen wore the

WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) — Sales at U.S. retailers decreased 0.2% in May to a seasonally adjusted $387.1 billion, the Commerce Department estimated Tuesday, further evidence that the economy has hit a soft patch. This is the first decline in sales since last June. But details of the report were not all weak. While auto sales were down as expected, there was some strength in building materials and miscellaneous stores. See full report. Compared with May 2010, sales are up 7.7%. Sales rose an downwardly revised 0.3% in April, compared with a 0.5% increase originally reported.

Here is an AFA action alert Old Navy selling 'gay' shirts - donates profits to activists Old Navy selling 'gay' shirts - donates profits to activists How would you feel if you knew that 10% of your Old Navy purchase would be donated directly to a homosexual activist organization? http://www.afa.net/Detail.aspx?id=2147507169

You may soon feel the financial sting as soaring cotton costs work their way from the cotton fields, to the textile mill, to the apparel manufacturer, to the retailer, and finally to that new pair of pants or dress you’ve had your eye on...

WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) — Sales at U.S. retailers increased for the 10th straight month in April, further evidence that the economy’s moving ahead at a gradual pace, according to the government’s latest data. Retail sales rose 0.5% in April to a seasonally adjusted $389.4 billion, the Commerce Department estimated Thursday. March sales were revised up to show 0.9% growth from an initial estimate of 0.4% growth; February sales were revised higher as well. Compared with April 2010, sales are up 7.6%... Excluding a 0.2% increase in sales of motor vehicles, retail sales rose 0.6% for April. Economists had expected a 0.7%...

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- Wal-Mart's core shoppers are running out of money much faster than a year ago due to rising gasoline prices, and the retail giant is worried, CEO Mike Duke said Wednesday. "We're seeing core consumers under a lot of pressure," Duke said at an event in New York. "There's no doubt that rising fuel prices are having an impact." Wal-Mart shoppers, many of whom live paycheck to paycheck, typically shop in bulk at the beginning of the month when their paychecks come in. Lately, they're "running out of money" at a faster clip, he said. Wal-Mart's ready...

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is quietly bringing back rifles, shotguns and ammunition to hundreds of U.S. stores as the hurting retail giant seeks to reinvigorate its one-stop shopping appeal and attract more male customers. The world's largest retailer stopped selling hunting rifles and bullets at all but a third of its U.S. stores five years ago, citing diminishing sales. It is now restoring them to hundreds of locations, bringing the total to nearly half of its more than 3,600 U.S. namesake stores, as part of a larger push to restore "heritage categories" of merchandise such as fishing rods and bolts of...

WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) — The prices paid by American consumers rose sharply again in March, mainly because of higher gas and grocery costs, according to the latest government data. The consumer price index rose 0.5% last month, the Labor Department reported Friday. The so-called core rate rose a lesser 0.1%. Economists surveyed by MarketWatch had expected CPI, which tracks inflation at the retail level, to rise by 0.5% overall, or by 0.2% on a core basis.

NEW YORK — Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is launching a national TV ad campaign Monday highlighting its renewed focus on low prices and its price match policy in a bid to bring back customers who no longer trust it has the lowest prices. The campaign bears the slogan "Low Prices. Every Day. On Everything." "We have lost our customer confidence ... in having the lowest price," said Duncan MacNaughton, chief merchandising officer at Wal-Mart in an interview with The Associated Press. "Our company is determined to create the best one-stop shopping experience and low prices on the right products backed by...

First Carrefour, Now Best Buy Is Closing A Bunch Of Stores In China Gus Lubin Feb. 22, 2011, 8:42 AM There's a dark cloud hanging over the world's biggest consumer growth market. Last week the largest foreign retailer, Carrefour, began winding down franchises across China. Now Best Buy says it will close all nine of its stores in China. Best Buy will focus on developing a local chain it owns, Five Star, which sells cheaper products. Wal-Mart also lowered its outlook for next year. CEO Mike Duke ominously said “Some of the pricing and merchandising issues in Walmart ran deeper...

Shoppers increased retail sales 0.3% last month, the seventh straight gain but the weakest since June. Ex autos, sales also rose 0.6%, the Commerce Department said Tuesday. Economists had expected a 0.5% overall gain and a 0.6% ex autos increase. January’s modest gains came amid brutal winter storms in much of the country. Then again, some analysts had expected late December sales to boost shopping last month. December sales were revised down a touch to 0.5% rise. January reflected the third straight month of decelerating gains.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc said it has dropped plans to build a superstore near the site of an historic 1864 Civil War battlefield in Virginia, bowing to pressure from preservationists. The world's largest retailer had been approved to build on the 52-acre site near Orange, Virginia, but ran into strong opposition from those looking to preserve the site near one of the bloodiest battles of the Civil War. The Battle of the Wilderness, considered one of the war's turning points, marked the first clash between the two sides' top generals -- Ulysses Grant for the Union and Robert E. Lee of...

This isn't good folks. The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) increased 0.5 percent in December on a seasonally adjusted basis, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Over the last 12 months, the all items index increased 1.5 percent before seasonal adjustment. The big gains here were in energy, up 4.6%. Coming right into the cold months this is not helpful. Not only was gasoline up 9.5% but fuel oil was up 4.9, which in the Northeast is a primary fuel. Natural gas was also up 1.4%. A look inside the data tables confirms - energy...

Top U.S. consumer electronics chain Best Buy's December same-store sales fell 4 percent as it lost bargain-hungry shoppers to rivals that offered bigger discounts. The retailer, which also reaffirmed its 2011 profit outlook, said on Friday that sales at stores open at least 14 months declined 5 percent in its domestic segment and 0.1 percent internationally. Overall sales in the month slipped 1.6 percent to $8.4 billion

What is unclear is the extent to which companies such as Walmart will be asked to assist in detaining persons of interest. The Gazette asked Walmart corporate if DHS was expecting them to detain individuals, if requested by law-enforcement, until officers could arrive at the scene. They were also asked if they had received assurances they would not be held liable if they detained someone based simply on a report by another customer. Multiple requests for information were not returned. There has already been one such case in which a private company was sued for acting on individuals with concerns....