Target

CrossView has announced the results of a study of some of the country’s largest retailers’ return policies. The study evaluated 88 U.S. retailers and found significant variations.

Top U.S. retailers including Wal-Mart and Target are battling to limit a new federal law that could force them to report whether their store-brand goods contain minerals from war-torn Central Africa.

Target posted a better-than-expected 23 percent increase in third-quarter profit after the discount retailer more than doubled its credit-card segment income and expanded its fresh-food offerings to boost sales.

Target is focused on helping customers “find, learn and buy,” and has taken 2010 to remodel its strategy, stores and messaging.

While Wal-Mart and Target fight over toys, retail consultant Howard Davidowitz says the outcome of their battle will be decided in the electronics section, not the toy aisle.

While Walmart and Target fight over toys, retail consultant Howard Davidowitz says the outcome of their battle will be decided in the electronics section, not the toy aisle. Christmas creep gets dialed back a notch — most retailers waited until now to begin their holiday push in earnest. And one of the few economic reports of the week takes the consumers' pulse. Listen to MarketWatch News Break.

The annual battle for the minds and wallets of toy-buying parents has gotten off to a particularly fierce start, with Wal-Mart Stores Inc. slashing prices in an effort to keep Target Corp. from being the low-cost leader this holiday shopping season.

Same-store retail sales for October were up 1.7 percent, a smaller increase compared to the gains in September with 2.8 percent and 2.3 percent in October 2009, according to Kantar Retail's monthly report of 31 U.S. retailers.

U.S. retailers from discounter Target Corp. to teen apparel chain Zumiez reported October same-store sales above Wall Street expectations, helped by unique merchandise and cheap prices.

"Women age 40 to 55 have pretty much held their jobs," Chicago retail analyst James Dion says. "In effect, the Nordstroms, the Saks, the Bloomies have to survive on that 40-plus customer because she's the one that's got the money."