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MARKETING NEWS Dow Chemical multichannel campaign tallies up 20,000 QR code scans ............................................... 1 Global Ad Spend Expected to Grow 4.8% in 2012; US Growth Steady at 3.6% ..................................... 3 Do Not Track privacy moves get FTC support ......................................................................................... 4 Lincoln marries old with new in mobilized retro ad for Newsweek........................................................... 5 Don’t Give Up the Print! ........................................................................................................................... 6

PUBLISHING NEWS Forbes Media Relaunches Luxury Lifestyle Magazine ............................................................................ 7 Hearst Corporation Acquires 20% Stake in Stylus Media Group............................................................. 8 MCC Magazines, LLC Acquires Equine Journal and Related Assets from Turley Publications, Inc. ...... 9 Haymarket Sells Majority Stake in Racer Magazine .............................................................................. 10 Variety Goes on the Block...................................................................................................................... 10

RETAIL NEWS Shoppers see innovation in mobile device use ...................................................................................... 10 Family Dollar delivers another strong quarter ........................................................................................ 11 New retail chain coming from H&M ........................................................................................................ 12 Wal-Mart to cut grocery prices by $1 billion ........................................................................................... 12 Meijer acquires Michigan dairy............................................................................................................... 12

ECONOMIC UPDATE

GDP: 3.0% in Q4 2011

Unemployment Rate: Unemployment was unchanged at 8.3 percent

Consumer Confidence: The Index now stands at 70.2, down from 71.6 in February

MARKETING NEWS

Dow Chemical multichannel campaign tallies up 20,000 QR code scans Chantal Tode , Mobile Marketer . 3/29/2012 With better-than-expected results from the mobile portion of a new multichannel strategy, Dow Chemical recently extended the effort with a push into paid search as a way to drive visits. The Dow Chemicals Solutionism campaign includes several print ads featuring QR codes that link to video content providing more in-depth information about the highlighted solutions. The effort was launched in September and saw 20,000 scans by the end of the year. “Mobile has started to lead a lot of the way for the digital portion of the campaign,” said Courtney Bernstein, digital media planner for Draftfcb, Chicago. “Mobile is definitely growing with Dow seeing some great performance in that space and key engagement.

April 2, 2012

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“When people are scanning QR codes, they are spending a lot more time engaging with the content than if they came from a referral or paid search,” she said. “When opting-in from print, people are really trying to find out more.” Stepping into mobile Draftfcb worked with Dow to develop and execute the campaign as a well as a previous one that focused on how Dow’s innovations in wind power and smart technology have impacted people’s lives. The latest effort takes this strategy a step further by inviting consumer interaction with mobile playing a key role by bridging the brand’s offline media with a variety of digital components. The QR codes, when scanned, link readers to a video that provides more in-depth information about the topic presented in the ad. “It was a big step for Dow to get into this space,” said John Rossmiller, senior vice president and group management director at Draftfcb. “In the past, we have been limited by having to stay at the high level in our messaging,” he said. “It was difficult to talk too much about the nuts and bolts of these technologies because a lot of people might find it boring. “But there are a lot of people who are interested and this is a good way to address both.” Going deeper The videos on the mobile campaign site, mobile.dow.com/solutionism, focus on several different Dow innovations, including how the company worked with scientists to make better-tasting gluten-free bread, how it is creating lighter, strong wind turbine blades and how it is helping to create more efficient batteries, among others. Users can also view related social content via a partnership with FeedMagnet, with social feeds on specific topics such as gluten-free bread and well-known blogs in these areas integrated into the site. Draftfcb’s research shows that the QR codes drove deeper engagement with the digital content than referrals or paid search. In 2012, Draftfcb’s goal is for the QR codes to garner 30,000 scans. To support the mobile presence, the agency recently launched a paid mobile search push. A desktop paid search campaign was also recently launched and a television component of the campaign was launched last week. “No one piece of media is communicating everything and with each layer, people are getting more information,” said Jon Flannery, executive vice president and group creative director at Draftfcb. “This allows us to engage the right people – some are not going to be as interested in the in-depth information on wind turbines but others are.”

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Global Ad Spend Expected to Grow 4.8% in 2012; US Growth Steady at 3.6% Staff Writer , Print In The Mix . 3/28/2012 ZenithOptimedia predicts global ad expenditure will grow 4.8% in 2012, reaching US$489 billion by the end of the year. This is a slight upgrade of the 4.7% growth forecast back in December. The global media services group now expects ad expenditure to grow 5.3% in 2013 (up from 5.2%) and 6.1% in 2014 (previously 5.8%). This upgrade is a result of two factors: signs that large companies are investing more in marketing to drive growth, and a reduced risk of collapse in the Eurozone, even though its short-term economic performance has deteriorated. Highlights of ZenithOptimedia's updated forecast for 2012 global ad expenditures: • ZenithOptimedia predicts growth for America to be steady at 3.6%, since the nation's tentative economic recovery appears on track. •Large advertisers are investing for growth by spending more on brand building and winning market share. These companies have generally built up their cash reserves since the onset of the downturn in 2008, and are in a strong position to invest in marketing to compete for market share and stimulate consumption. Unilever, Reckitt Benckiser, Coca-Cola, and PepsiCo, for example, have all made recent public announcements that they plan to spend more on advertising to build their brands and launch new products. ZenithOptimedia expects many other large advertisers to follow suit. •The risk of catastrophe in the Eurozone appears to have receded since the last published forecast, although it remains very real. The long-term problem is government debt, and the associated risks of a liquidity crisis, sovereign defaults and breakdown of the eurozone. Europe’s real economic performance has deteriorated, and the Eurozone is now almost certainly in recession. The combined effect of the intervention and the downturn in output has been modestly higher confidence in the world’s long-term economic prospects, but lower confidence in Europe in the short term. •Ten developing markets to deliver half of global ads pend growth between 2011 and 2014. Between 2011 and 2014, it's predicted 60% of all the world’s growth in ad expenditure will come from developing markets (define here as everywhere outside North America, Western Europe and Japan). The four BRIC markets alone (Brazil, Russia, India and China) are forecast to account for 33% of global growth. Beyond the BRICs, there are six fast-growing markets forecasted to add between US$1 billion and US$4 billion each to the global ad market, and deliver another 16% of global growth: Indonesia, Argentina, South Africa, South Korea, Mexico and Turkey. •Quadrennial events -- the summer Olympics, the European Football Championship and the US Presidential and other elections -- and Japanese recovery to add US$7 billion (1.6 percentage points) to global growth in 2012. •Internet’s share of expenditure to rise from 16.4% in 2011 to 22.1% in 2014, primarily thanks to social media. Internet advertising already accounts for more than 25% of total ad expenditure in five markets (Denmark, Norway, South Korea, Sweden and the UK), and by 2014 it is expected to account for more than 30% in six markets (Canada, China, Norway, South Korea, Sweden and the UK), so there is plenty of potential for further growth in Internet advertising’s global market share.

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• The Internet is also the biggest contributor of new ad dollars to the global market. Between 2011 and 2014 it is predicted Internet advertising to account for 55% of the growth in total expenditure. The next biggest new ad dollar contributor is television, which we forecast to contribute 40% of growth. • Newspapers and magazines have been declining since 2007, with a brief pause for magazines in 2010, and ZenithOptimedia expects this decline to continue throughout the forecast period. The firm forecasts advertising in both newspapers and magazines to shrink by 1% a year between 2011 and 2014. Note that this includes only advertising in printed editions of these publications; it does not include advertising on their websites, or in tablet editions or mobile apps, all of which will be picked up in the internet category. The prospects for newspaper and magazine publishers are therefore not quite as bleak as our headline figures would make them appear.

Do Not Track privacy moves get FTC support Allison Enright , Internet Retailer . 3/27/2012 Federal Trade Commission chairman Jon Leibowitz said today that he expects Congress will take legislative action on Do Not Track consumer privacy initiatives if the advertising and data collection industries don’t implement by the end of the year a “persistent, easy to use and effective” solution that enables consumers to control how their online information is gathered and used. Leibowitz complimented the progress made by the Digital Advertising Alliance (DAA), an umbrella group of seven trade associations representing the online marketing industry, and other industry groups and companies, but said more work needs to be done. The DAA is the group behind the AdChoices program that lets consumers opt out of having ads targeted to them based on their online behavior. It also supports giving consumers a browser-based Do Not Track option. “We are very, very supportive of the entire Do Not Track policy and legislative ecosystem moving this forward,” Leibowitz said during a press conference announcing the release of an FTC report that puts forth principles on how consumers’ online data should be handled. “I am very hopeful it can be done without legislation,” he said, but added that if a solution doesn’t come to fruition by the end the year, there will be bipartisan support for Do Not Track legislation. No laws currently force companies to comply with the practices put forth in the FTC report and following the FTC’s recommendations is voluntary.The new report says companies that handle consumer data should build in privacy protections at every stage of development, give consumers simple choices to let them decide what information is shared and with whom, and that they should disclose how they are collecting and using information. It also says consumers should be able to easily access the data that has been collected about them, and, if necessary, be able to correct inaccurate information. It calls on data brokers, who collect data from multiple sources and sell it to marketers, to create a web site where consumers can express their privacy preferences on how their data are used. The FTC report, titled “Protecting Consumer Privacy in an Era of Rapid Change: A Proposed Framework for Businesses and Policymakers,” expands upon a preliminary report the agency issued in December 2010. The measures largely pertain to data collected by third parties, such as ad networks that track visitors to news, entertainment and other web sites, not e-commerce sites a consumer directly interacts with. The recommendations don’t restrict an e-retailer from using data it collects from a consumer about how he behaves on the e-retail site or sharing information with another company to complete a transaction, such as sharing the consumer’s mailing address with a shipper. It also excludes information shared to prevent fraud.

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Last month, the White House proposed what it called a “bill of rights” aimed at protecting consumers’ privacy that would give consumers more control over how their information is collected and used online. That proposal follows the introduction of several bills in Congress that address consumers’ online privacy.

Lincoln marries old with new in mobilized retro ad for Newsweek Chantal Tode , Mobile Marketer . 3/26/2012 Lincoln’s ad in the Heritage edition of Newsweek, which is a homage to '60s style exemplified by "Mad Men," successfully marries the old with the new by using digital watermark technology so readers can access exclusive content. Newsweek’s special retro-modern issue celebrates the launch of Mad Men’s fifth season by recreating the look of the magazine during the 60s but with all original content. Lincoln’s goal for its print ad and related TV advertising is to leverage the excitement and visibility around Mad Men to tell the story of the brand’s past and present. “For Lincoln, this unique advertisement opportunity in Newsweek makes sense because it highlights the strong heritage of the brand, but through mobile demonstrates how things have gotten very interesting at Lincoln,” said Connie Fontaine, marketing communications manager for Lincoln, Dearborn, MI. “It allowed us to maintain the integrity of the original ad which is very Mad Men-esque, while driving mobile users to relevant content that highlights Max Wolff, Lincoln's director of design, discussing automotive styling of the 60’s and the elements of that era that inspire his work,” she said. “Mobile allows for the immediate connection to interesting content in a way consumers are consuming media more and more every day.” Retro look, modern feel All of the ads appearing in the issue also have a retro look. Readers can use decidedly modern technology – their smartphones – to scan the Lincoln ad to learn more about Lincoln. Lincoln partnered with Digimarc to create the digitally watermarked ad, which appears on page 37 of the special issue. A box at the bottom of the page lets readers know they can use their smartphones to scan the phota of a 60s Lincoln Continental that appears in the ad to access related content. After scanning the ad, readers are presented with a video featuring Mr. Wolff, who talks about the Lincoln Continental’s past and future design elements. Lincoln’s campaign around Mad Men also includes a vignette featuring one of the show’s stars, John Slattery, and a 30-second spot for the new 2013 MKS. Both will run for 13 weeks within the airing of Mad Men.

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Brand integrity Digimarc’s digital watermark technology is embedded in the printed ad but is not visible to readers so as not to affect the ad’s design. The technology gives brands such as Lincoln the ability to create custom, scannable-design elements that behave like a 2D bar code without impacting the overall design. “Brands, such as Lincoln and others, make such large investments in their creative efforts that it really does not make sense for them to mar the aesthetics of the finished product with a visible mobile response code,” said Ed Knudson, executive vice president of sales and marketing at Digimarc, Beaverton, OR. “Digital watermarks provide brands with the ability to create print-to-mobile campaigns to reach consumers while maintaining the integrity of their creative vision," he said. In the future, it will be possible for brands to use digital watermarks in print as well as TV and radio campaigns. “There was some buzz around television ad-to-mobile experiences around some of this year’s Super Bowl commercials, but seeing a true 360-degree print/broadcast-to-mobile campaign using digital watermarks is still a ways off,” Mr. Knudson said. Don’t Give Up the Print! Heidi Tolliver-Walker , Digital Nirvana . 3/30/2012 Next time you’re having a conversation with a client about the value of continuing to use print in their media mix, you might want to throw in some data from Harris Interactive. Its Harris Poll, conducted of 2056 adults in February 6-13 2012, found that while smartphones could be used to replace many print-related activities, such as carrying airline tickets or using printed coupon, they aren’t. Only 5% of Americans say that they have scanned their phone for admission to a movie or as an airline ticket, and fewer say they have done so to pay for clothing or electronics (3%), admission to a concert, live theater or performance (3%), to pay for a convenience item such as coffee (3%) or something else (7%). Two in five say they have never scanned their mobile or smart phone for any reason (40%) and slightly more say they do not have a mobile or smart phone with this capability (45%). Although Echo Boomers, aged 18-35, are most likely to have scanned their phone for all of the items listed, even they are not doing this at remarkable rates (between 5% and 10% for each item). [1] Harris Interactive also asked these adults, not just what behaviors they were willing to engage in with their smartphones, but also their comfort levels with using their phones this way (whether they had actually done so or not). Levels of discomfort using phones for purchases, scanning tickets, and a variety of other activities remains quite high. When the research firm looked at those who are comfortable with the various items, it noticed several trends:

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There is comfort in youth – younger adults are more comfortable than those older with each item listed;

Men are more comfortable with each item than are women; and

Those who have scanned their smart phone for any one of a number of reasons are more comfortable with each capability than are those who have never scanned their phone, or do not have a phone with that technology.

The last one is particularly interesting for those pushing QR Codes and other 2d mobile barcodes, especially to boost the relevance and interest in print. If you can get them to scan the code just once, people are much more likely to continue to do it. That means really focusing on the incentive and call to action, especially the first time out. PUBLISHING NEWS Forbes Media Relaunches Luxury Lifestyle Magazine Press Release , MPA . 3/26/2012 Forbes Media announces the relaunch of its lifestyle magazine, ForbesLife. For the first time ever, ForbesLife will be offered on newsstands across the nation, in addition to being polybagged for subscribers. It will also be available in replica form for Nooks, Kindles and iPads, providing cross-platform access to the best in luxury journalism. The magazine was re-imagined for the social world we live in, boasting a new modern look, photo-driven editorial content, first-person storytelling, and unprecedented access to the most important people in the world. It is focused on giving candid glimpses into the biggest names in business, showing how the rich and ambitious really live. “In integrating ForbesLife with its parent and introducing a dazzling design courtesy of the great Robert Preist and his associate, Grace Lee, we are amplifying our nearly 22-year-old founding mission of celebrating the rewards of success with flair and style,” said Robert Forbes, President of ForbesLife. ForbesLife readers represent elite influencers, spending more on travel, apparel and accessories, fine watches and jewelry, consumer electronics, home furnishings, and luxury vehicles than readers of any other business publication. In the newest issue, Warren Buffett writes about his decision to invest on his own at age twenty five, a choice that ended up netting him over $50 billion dollars. The cover story takes readers inside the home of bachelor billionaire Elon Musk, South African tech-genius responsible for PayPal, Tesla, Space X, as well as being the inspiration behind Iron Man. John Paul DeJoria, cofounder of Patrón and Paul Mitchell hair products, takes ForbesLife for a ride on luxurious private train car, The Patrón Tequila Express. Jay Leno gives a tour of his $20 million garage, equipped with the most sought-after vehicles in the world. Also showcased in the issue are the lives of philanthropist Susan Dell and car magnate Charles Royce; a wine tour of Paris by world renowned wine writer Robert Parker Jr.; and a satire by P.J. O’Rourke.

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Additional highlights of the new ForbesLife include sections on the best in travel, auctions, charities, high-end sporting events and luxury goods as well as party pictures from exclusive Forbes branded events. ForbesLife is committed to showing how the successful live, what they collect, where they travel, why they succeed. With personality-driven covers, the new ForbesLife offers personal connections to the world’s tastemakers, with a focus on putting power in the hands of the consumer.

Hearst Corporation Acquires 20% Stake in Stylus Media Group Press Release , MPA . 3/29/2012 Hearst Corporation today announced that it has acquired a 20 percent stake in Stylus Media Group, which provides business intelligence to consumer companies. The announcement was made jointly by Frank A. Bennack, Jr., CEO of Hearst Corporation, and Marc Worth, CEO and founder of Stylus. Financial terms were not disclosed. Stylus tracks consumer behavior and cultural shifts across consumer industries, including automotive, technology, media, retail, fashion and hospitality. Stylus (Stylus.com) is used by design, marketing, branding and business development departments inside companies to stimulate new ideas about consumer products and services. As part of the agreement, Kenneth A. Bronfin, president of Hearst Interactive Media, will join the Board of Directors of Stylus. The Interactive Media group will manage Hearst's stake in Stylus as it does with its numerous portfolio businesses. Since its launch in September 2010, Stylus has grown to cover 20 sectors across 50 countries with a worldwide staff of 100. More than 200 major corporations have subscribed to Stylus data, including Saatchi & Saatchi, Starwood Hotels, Mulberry, Sony, Ford, Colombia Sportswear, The Container Store, Marks & Spencer and Interbrand. Its mission is to become a global leader in primary research, tapping into opportunities in emerging markets and meeting demand from business and design professionals for research and information. Commenting on the acquisition, Bennack said, "For all businesses to be competitive, spotting the next trend can mean success or failure. We believe that Stylus offers information that no company should be without. The growth potential is very promising, as is the benefit to our own brands and businesses." "This strategic partnership signals a wealth of new opportunities for Stylus," Worth said. "Hearst's global presence will help drive Stylus' business forward in Asia and Latin America as well as its core markets of U.S. and Europe. Hearst's investment in both technology and new media businesses makes it an ideal partner and will allow us to meet demand for cross-sector, cross-country design intelligence." "We have been quite impressed with the tremendous amount of progress that Stylus has made since its launch in terms of content development and brand-name client acquisition," Bronfin said. "We look

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forward to working with Stylus as it expands its reputation as an authoritative business intelligence resource for design and creative professionals." About Stylus Stylus provides business intelligence to consumer companies in order to inspire new ideas and improve profitability. An online business resource, Stylus (Stylus.com) is used by nearly 250 leading companies in the automotive, fashion & beauty, electronics, home & industrial design, media & technology, hospitality, architecture and advertising industries. Users across 52 countries rely on the Stylus editorial content to learn about consumer behaviour, global industry events and new ideas for product design and consumer services. Stylus is headquartered in London and has offices in New York and Los Angeles.

MCC Magazines, LLC Acquires Equine Journal and Related Assets from Turley Publications, Inc. Press Release , MPA . 3/27/2012 Equine Journal joins the Morris Communications family of equine magazines and related businesses, including Western Horseman, Horsemen’s Yankee Pedlar, Barrel Horse News, Quarter Horse News, HorseCity.com, HYP digital magazine, National Barrel Horse Association, and Lyons Press. Based in Keene, N.H., Equine Journal has been the horse enthusiast’s all-breed/all-discipline source for award-winning features and columns, news and events, for more than 20 years. Equine Journal also publishes two annual supplements, circulated to subscribers and industry influencers throughout the east coast, as well as a quarterly sister publication, Gypsy Horse Journal. William S. Morris III, CEO and chairman of Morris Communications, said, “I have admired Equine Journal and its experienced and knowledgeable staff for years, and it is a pleasure to welcome the publication into the Morris Communications group.” Natalee Roberts, associate publisher of Equine Journal, will report to Paul Smith, president of MCC Magazines, effective immediately. “While I am sad to see the long and fruitful partnership with Turley Publications come to an end, the new ownership by Morris Communications will enable our continued growth,” Roberts said. Morris Magazines, LLC, is a division of Morris Communications Company, LLC, a privately held media company with diversified holdings that include newspaper publishing, visitor-guide publishing, outdoor advertising, magazine publishing, radio broadcasting, book publishing and distribution, and online services. For more information, visit www.morris.com. Turley Publications, Inc. was formed 50 years ago as a small, family-owned business. The Palmer, Mass., company has expanded and diversified as multi-dimensional media company encompassing 15 community newspapers, a national antiques magazine and a regional home-and-garden design publication, commercial printing services and its own advertising agency.

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Haymarket Sells Majority Stake in Racer Magazine Bill Mickey , Folio . 3/28/2012 Haymarket Media has sold its majority stake in Racer Magazine back to its original founding management team of Paul Pfanner and Bill Sparks. The brand was launched 20 years ago and Haymarket has held majority ownership for the last 11 years. Also included in the transaction is Racer.com and Racer's custom publishing operation, which produces SportsCar for the Sports Car Club of America, and operates the Racer Special Projects Division, which generates multiplatform content marketing solutions. The new company, Racer Media & Marketing, will also align the brand with Pfanner's content marketing and brand development firm Pfanner Communications Inc. Racer, which targets enthusiasts with a love for all things car racing, has about 20,000 subscribers and its website attracts about 100,000 monthly uniques. Variety Goes on the Block Stefanie Botelho , Folio . 3/26/2012 Reed Business Information [RBI] today announced that is putting Variety up for sale. The company has spent the last three years divesting its U.S. magazine properties. This announcement follows rumors of a possible sale that circulated in 2010. London-based Reed Elsevier cut ties with business-sector magazine publisher RBI in February 2008. In April 2010, 23 RBI titles (including Building Design + Construction, Graphic Arts Blue Book and Professional Builder, among other) shuttered. At the time of the closures, an RBI spokesperson told FOLIO: the publisher intended to keep Variety, Marketplace and 411 Publishing, Reed Construction Data and the Buyerzone lead generation business intact. RBI CEO Mark Kelsey said of the sale, “With RBI's increasing focus on data services, and the sale of our other US print magazines, it now makes sense for us to sell the business. Variety has an incredibly talented team who have successfully innovated and expanded the franchise in industry news and analysis. I have no doubt the business will continue to thrive under new ownership."

RETAIL NEWS

Shoppers see innovation in mobile device use Gail Hoffer , Retailing Today . 3/26/2012 Retailers that use tablets and other mobile devices in place of cash registers are perceived as being more innovative by mobile shoppers than those that do not, according to the latest AisleBuyer survey. The final installment of the Mobile Shopping Survey series, more than one-fifth of shoppers (22%) have visited a store where associates use mobile devices instead of cash registers, while 57% of mobile

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shoppers said they believe retailers that use mobile devices in place of traditional cash registers are innovative. What's more, nearly two-thirds of these shoppers (64%) said they believe store associates are more helpful when they're on the store floor where consumers are shopping, versus being behind a cash register. Another reason shoppers may want to see traditional cash registers replaced with tablets is to make room for additional merchandise (41%). The full results of the “Tablets as Point of Sale” survey, along with additional surveys in the Mobile

Shopping Survey series can be found here.

"The cash register has a new rival. We're seeing increased interest from retailers in supplementing and potentially replacing traditional registers with a tablet-based mobile POS or store associate solution," AisleBuyer founder and CEO Andrew Paradise said. "Equipped with a tablet, store employees can do much more than just help customers check out. Now, they can share product information, show video demos and suggest related products — making them a more valuable and profitable part of the in-store sale." Family Dollar delivers another strong quarter Gail Hoffer , Retailing Today . 3/28/2012 Rising gas prices and a cautious consumer environment continues to benefit the dollar store, with Family Dollar being the latest example. The company reported that net income for the second quarter of fiscal 2012, ended Feb. 25, increased 10.7% to $136.4 million compared with net income of $123.2 million for the second quarter of fiscal 2011. Net income per diluted share for the quarter increased 17.3% to $1.15 compared with 98 cents for the second quarter of fiscal 2011. Total net sales for the second quarter of fiscal 2012 increased 8.6% to $2.46 billion compared with total net sales of $2.26 billion in the second quarter of fiscal 2011. Comparable-store sales increased 4.5%, thanks to increased customer traffic and increased average ticket. Sales were strongest in the consumables and seasonal and electronics categories. “I’m very pleased to report that we delivered our 16th consecutive quarter of double-digit earnings per share growth. Our investments to improve the shopping experience and broaden our customer appeal are gaining momentum and continue to drive higher returns for our shareholders,” said Howard Levine, chairman and CEO. “Our strategy to provide value and convenience continues to resonate in this economic environment. As we execute against our strategic plan, our store teams are working hard to expand our merchandise assortment to better meet our customer’s needs and drive further market share gains.” For the third quarter, the company expects that comparable store sales will increase between 5% and 7% and that earnings per diluted share will be between $1.01 and $1.11, compared with 91 cents in the third quarter of fiscal 2011. For the full year, the company expects that earnings per share will be between $3.55 and $3.75 compared with $3.12 in fiscal 2011.

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New retail chain coming from H&M Gail Hoffer , Retailing Today . 3/30/2012 Fans of H&M will soon have a new place to shop as the Swedish fashion retailer Hennes & Mauritz AB confirmed Thursday that it will open a new chain in 2013 that will build on the 2007 launch of its upscale Collection of Style (COS). No name for the new concept has been revealed yet. "Like COS, which today is very successful with good profitability, the new chain of stores will be independent and complement the other offerings from the group," H&M CEO Karl-Johan Persson said. "We have great faith in this new brand and we see considerable potential for further initiatives." Meanwhile, the company opened its first namebrand store in Sofia, Bulgaria, earlier in March, and plans to have opened other stores in Bulgaria, Latvia, Malaysia, Mexico and — through a franchise — Thailand by the end of 2012. H&M also reported Thursday that net profit for the quarter rose to $411 million, from $393 million in the same period a year earlier. Stockholm-based H&M said net sales rose to $4.17 billion, from $3.68 billion a year ago. Profit results, which H&M blamed on higher cotton prices, missed analysts’ expectations. Wal-Mart to cut grocery prices by $1 billion Katherine Field Boccaccio , Chain Store Age . 3/30/2012 Wal-Mart Stores Inc. said Thursday it will reduce prices on groceries by $1 billion in 2012, in hopes to draw customers in and encourage them to cross-shop in other areas of the store. Wal-Mart had $145 billion in grocery sales last year in the United States, making it the largest player in terms of domestic grocery sales. It says the price reductions in food and consumables are an investment and won’t impact margins especially if shoppers respond as planned with additional traffic and loyalty. Chief merchandising officer Duncan Mac Naughton described the program at an industry conference, and said that some key momentum is building inside Wal-Mart U.S., referring to the recent sales turnaround trends. Meijer acquires Michigan dairy Alaric Dearment , Retailing Today . 3/30/2012 Mass merchandise chain Meijer has acquired a Michigan-based dairy, the company said. Meijer announced the purchase of Bareman's Dairy, a family-owned company based in Holland, Mich., and the intention of investing more than $8 million into expansion of the plant. "This is an exciting day for our company," Meijer co-chairman and CEO Hank Meijer said. "As Meijer continues to grow, it's crucial we invest in the operations that will help us keep our promise of higher standards and lower prices to our customers. Expanding into dairy operations will do just that." The company also announced the creation of the Purple Cow Creamery, which will supply white and chocolate milk to Meijer's stores in Michigan. Meijer said that while it would be several months before it started shipping milk products to Meijer stores, the chain would assume ownership of dairy plant

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operations starting on Monday, and Carlinville, Ill.-based Prairie Farms Dairy would acquire the Bareman's Dairy brand and the dairy's distribution centers. "The creation of the Purple Cow Creamery is an important step forward as we continue to expand our manufacturing operations," Meijer EVP supply chain and manufacturing Rick Keyes said. "Producing our own Meijer brand milk allows us to continue to focus on keeping our prices low for our customers while also reducing the number of food miles for a very important product."