Target agrees to $10M fund to settle lawsuit over consumer data breach by Tad Vezner at Twin Cities/Pioneer Press. "The tentative settlement, which was filed in U.S. District Court of Minnesota, would allow each plaintiff to receive up to $10,000 from the fund." Read more   As Sears stumbles, suppliers grow uneasy by Krystina Gustafson at CNBC. "Sears has offered to speed up payments to certain vendors to 15 days, asking in return for a discount between 3 percent and 5 percent. The department store typically pays suppliers within two months, MarketWatch said." Read more   Target extends its [...]

  Macy's, Rite Aid part of first U.S. multi-brand loyalty program by Phil Wahba at Fortune. "The program, called Plenti, will be operated by American Express...One study has found that the average American is a member of 29 loyalty programs but only uses eight actively." Read more   Target claims $1.6B tax benefit from Canadian losses by Jim Hammerand at Minn./St. Paul Business Journal.  Read more   Target's 10-K Annual Report  See it here   How Bed Bath & Beyond Will Punish Customers Making Returns Without Receipts by Nicole Pelletiere at ABC News. "Beginning April 20, all returns made without [...]

  Canadian regulators suspend Costco’s fish importing license by Angel Gonzalez at Seattle Times. "Craig Wilson, Costco’s vice president for quality and food safety, said in an interview that it incurred the regulator’s wrath after its Canadian operations failed to file paperwork for two containers of tuna in olive oil that the company imported from Italy." Read more   Amazon Expands in Canada With Move to Toronto Skyscraper by Katia Dmitrieva at Bloomberg. "Amazon is moving into one of Toronto’s newest skyscrapers, taking enough office space for 800 employees, as Canada’s largest city lures big technology firms. The company will occupy [...]

  Wal-Mart Shakes Up Grocery Management in Bid to Improve Food by Renee Dudley at Bloomberg. "Jack Sinclair, who has been executive vice president of the U.S. grocery division since 2007, will retire on March 20, according to a note that the Bentonville, Arkansas-based company sent to U.S. employees. Senior Vice President Tony Airoso, who runs the dairy and fresh-food strategy, will become a California-based senior vice president of global food sourcing." More changes   Target hints at more layoffs to come by Tom Webb at Twin Cities/Pioneer Press. "Asked Friday whether the layoffs are finished, Target responded with a [...]

Lumber Liquidators to pay for safety testing of flooring by Michael Felberbaum at San Jose Mercury News. "Lumber Liquidators said the indoor air quality test kits that customers will receive are the same quality used by federal officials to test workplace exposure. So far, less than 1,000 customers have requested the testing kit. If tests show high levels of formaldehyde, the company said it will pay for further testing and may pay to reinstall flooring." Read more   Iconic Target design partner Michael Graves dies by Jim Hammerand at Minn./St.Paul Business Journal. "Graves and Target started working together in 1998 [...]

  Dollar General Q4 Comp Sales +4.9% "As we look ahead, we have exciting operating plans that build on our competitive strengths. For 2015, we are forecasting a year of strong growth including a total sales increase of 8 to 9 percent, same-store sales growth of 3 to 3.5 percent." Read the release   ...Dollar General CFO Retires "Dollar General Corporation announced today that David Tehle, executive vice president and chief financial officer, will retire from Dollar General effective July 1, 2015." Read the release   Target "Centers of Excellence" Restructuring by Kavita Kumar at Star-Tribune. "By the end of the week, many Target corporate [...]

  Target Workers Axed in Groups by Adam Belz at Star-Tribune. "The calendar invitations landed in inboxes across Target just after sunrise. Workers who’d arrived to find the offices stacked with white boxes were to report to conference rooms for simultaneous but separate 8:45 a.m. meetings...The job cuts — 1,700 people — came in one fell swoop, all at the same time, by department. In the words of one employee who kept her job, “at least the Band-Aid is going to rip fast and this won’t be drawn out.” Read more   ...elevator was filled with co-workers crying by Tom Webb [...]

  Layoffs begin at Target; Dayton meets CEO Cornell by Adam Belz & Patrick Condon at Star Tribune. "One employee who declined to be identified said that probably a couple of dozen upper managers were let go Monday and gone by lunch. The employee said broader cuts were expected Tuesday. “The mood is pretty somber, about what you would expect,” the employee said." Read more   ...Brian Cornell met Gov. Dayton for about 45 minutes Monday at the governor’s Summit Avenue residence. Also present were Lt. Gov. Tina Smith and top Target executives Jodee Kozlak, chief of human resources, and [...]