aggregatedcontent

It might as well be called Black Thursday. Joining a slew of other national retailers, Wal-Mart said it too will open its doors nationwide on Thanksgiving night. Not to be one-upped by Target, which recently announced it would open at midnight on Black Friday, Wal-Mart said it will kick off its Black Friday deals at 10 p.m. on Thursday.

Holiday retail hiring is off to a relatively strong start with 141,500 jobs added in October, but overall hiring for the season may be a bit slower than last year, according to layoff consultant Challenger, Gray & Christmas Inc.

San Diego -- PriceSmart Inc. reported Thursday that profit for the fourth quarter dipped 4% to $12.7 million from $13.2 million a year earlier, as higher costs offset stronger sales. The wholesale club operator’s total revenue surged 22% to $447.4 million. Same-store sales rose nearly 19% in October.

Culver City, Calif.-based Sporteve has changed its company name to Sports for Eve. “We are changing the name to reflect the evolution of what we have become,” said D’Lynda Fischer, president for Sports for Eve. “Sports for Eve will remain a premiere shopping environment for athletic apparel that embodies a woman’s style and grace. But it’s also become a place where women discover what makes them feel beautiful, confident and powerful.” The bright, airy, 3,000-sq.-ft. store, which is located in downtown Culver City, recently received a fresh new look from Seattle-based Bruce Hale Design. Some of the upgrades include

Simon Doonan need not fear his absence from decorating the holiday windows at Barneys this year because Lady Gaga has created the Gaga Workshop. Barneys has launched a microsite that will debut a product a day from the workshop available for purchase. The retailer is calling it the "12 Days of Gaga."

Specialty retailer Old Navy is upping its mobile efforts with an iPhone application designed to increase holiday sales and let consumers know about new products. The Snap Appy app lets consumers scan products in-store to unlock season-themed surprises and rewards while shopping.

Versace has designed a new collection for Swedish high-street retail giant H&M. The Versace at H&M collection features glamorous clothes and accessories embellished with sequins, studs, leather and lace. Many of the styles are reminiscent of signature looks of the Italian fashion house, which were originally designed by the late Gianni Versace.

Saks Fifth Avenue has signed a distribution deal with Mogo Design for the companys magnetic accessory line. Mogo Charmbands and Mogo Charm Collections will be showcased in the accessories, holiday gift guide and toy sections of the online retail site beginning in mid-November.

Pet products merchant Drs. Foster & Smith will include four hours of streaming content on Black Friday and another four hours on Cyber Monday. The programming will feature interviews with veterinarians along with product promotions, the company said.

A number of merchants including Burberry, H&M and Macy's have launched brand pages on Google+. As of Nov. 8, Burberry had 12,349 followers, H&M had 10,383 and Macy's had 10,767. According to the official Google blog, "So far Google+ has focused on connecting people with other people. But we want to make sure you can build relationships with all the things you care about — from local businesses to global brands."