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Toys 'R' Us raised $4 million and collected more than 400,000 toys during its eighth annual fundraising campaign to benefit the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation. For a third consecutive year, NBA alum Shaquille ONeal appeared as Shaq-A-Claus, encouraging customers to give back to children in need.

Experian QAS released a new benchmark report on the data quality practices of top online retailers. The report reveals that 72 percent of the top 100 retailers are using some form of address verification during online checkout. "Year over year, we are seeing the incidence of real-time address verification growing among retailers," said Thomas Schutz, senior vice president, general manager of Experian QAS.

Menomonee Falls, Wis. -- Kohl's Corp. said Thursday it is doubling the size of its design office in New York City, as well as adding its first design studio on the West Coast, in Santa Monica, Calif. The move, said the company, represents a commitment to its exclusive brands. "The investment reinforces our commitment to offering world-class brands at compelling value to our customers," said Kevin Mansell, Kohl's chairman, president and CEO, in a statement. Exclusive brands now account for 51% of Kohl’s total revenue. The Santa Monica studio will open on Monday, staffed by 20 trend and graphic

The report was featured on ESPN's Outside The Lines last Sunday | Email | Print Tweet advertisement The Dallas Cowboys have come under fire this week for reasons wholly unrelated to football. In a piece on last Sunday’s edition of ESPN’s Outside The Lines, the Cowboys were implicated in the use of sweatshop labor in the production of their apparel. Dallas is the only NFL team to handle their own merchandise, after breaking away from the rest of the league in 2002, and now have contracts with Asian and South American warehouses used also by large brands like

Moosejaw, the quirky outdoor retailer based out of Detroit, has announced the grand opening date of March 3rd , 2012 for their 8th retail location in Natick, Mass. The Natick location will be the first to embody Moosejaw’s new retail concept and design. “We wanted to do something totally unexpected from what you would find in a typical outdoor store. When customers come in they will want to explore and engage with their surroundings, the staff and the technology in the space,” explains Bryan Lively, Vice President of Retail. The first thing shoppers will find when they walk in

Tokyo -- Fast Retailing Co., operator of the Uniqlo apparel chain, reported Thursday a net profit of $405.3 million for the first quarter, a 37% rise that the company said was due in large part to a change in accounting methods. Operating profit dipped 2.8%. Sales gained 8.6% overall for the quarter, but the company has trimmed its full-year outlook as sales in its home market remained sluggish. Fast Retailing has said it plans to open 200-300 stores per year outside Japan to compete with established chains such as Gap Inc. and Spain's Zara, but analysts question whether the

John Goodman, the chief of Sears Holdings Corp.'s apparel and home division, left the company, Sears confirmed. The Hoffman Estates-based retailer hired Goodman two years ago as executive vice president of apparel and home, charging him with reviving Sears' troubled clothing business and refocusing its clothing line to attract younger and trendier shoppers. Goodman left last week, according to Sears spokeswoman Amy Dimond. His departure follows the arrival of Ron Boire, the former Brookstone president and CEO, as executive vice president and chief merchandising officer for Sears and Kmart brands. Sears hired Boire on Jan. 3. It is the

Framingham, Mass. -- Staples said Thursday it has appointed Kirk Saville as VP global communications, charged with overseeing Staples’ internal and corporate communications, marketing, public relations, community relations and corporate events. Saville, who joins Staples from The Hershey Co. where he was VP corporate communications, will report to Steve Fund, Staples senior VP global marketing.

American Apparel said an investigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission into its financial reporting practices had ended without enforcement action. The investigation was sparked in 2010 when Deloitte & Touche resigned as American Apparel's accountant and warned the retailer that its previous audit reports and 2009 financial statements may not be reliable.

The National Retail Federation has issued an open letter to President Obama urging him to call for action on initiatives that support a strong retail sector when he delivers his State of the Union address later this month. The letter was signed by Macy's Chairman, President and CEO Terry Lundgren, who chairs the NRF Board of Directors, and NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay.