Financial News

CHICAGO — Boosted by a very weak comparison period, ShopperTrak’s National Retail Sales Estimate reported that total GAFO retail sales for the last Saturday before Christmas (Dec. 18), or "Super Saturday," increased a sharp 15.1%, compared with last year, while the company’s retail traffic index reported a similar 10.1% total U.S. foot traffic uptick for the same period.

WOONSOCKET, R.I. — The work of 62 nonprofit organizations in Rhode Island and Massachusetts received a boost with support from funds generated by the 2010 CVS Caremark Charity Classic.

CVS Caremark's chairman and CEO, Tom Ryan, along with PGA Tour Professionals and CVS Caremark Charity Classic co-hosts Billy Andrade and Brad Faxon, presented more than $1.3 million to area charities at the company's customer support center headquarters.

WOONSOCKET, R.I. — The CVS Caremark Charitable Trust announced on Tuesday that $3.3 million in grants has been awarded to 72 nonprofit organizations across the country.

About half of these grants align with CVS Caremark All Kids Can, a program focused on making life easier for children with disabilities and for their families. The other half of the grants will provide support for medical services for the underinsured and uninsured.

NEW YORK — Walmart had high Web traffic numbers for the week ended Nov. 27, which included Thanksgiving and Black Friday, according to data released from Experian Hitwise.

The big-box retailer topped the list at 25.88% of all Web traffic, or 88 million visits, with Target ranking second at 15.26%, or 51.8 million visits.

Meanwhile, Sears.com accounted for 6.21% of multichannel Web traffic, or 21.1 million visits for the week, just under JCPenney at 21.5 million visits, or 6.34% of total Web traffic.

LONDON and ROTTERDAM, Netherlands — Unilever has confirmed that Alberto-Culver shareholders have approved the proposed $3.7 billion Unilever acquisition, which was announced in September.

Separately, Unilever confirmed that it has received a second request for information from the United States Department of Justice in the regulatory review process. Unilever noted that it will continue to work with the DOJ in connection with its review.

IRVINGTON, N.Y. — Prestige Brands Holdings on Thursday announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the assets associated with the Dramamine business in the United States from McNeil Consumer Healthcare for $76 million in cash.

“The company expects to quickly and smoothly integrate Dramamine into the Prestige portfolio and drive growth through enhanced brand support,” stated Matthew Mannelly, Prestige Brands CEO.

WASHINGTON — Yogurt brand Dannon agreed to drop what government officials are calling "exaggerated health claims" for two of its products.

NEW YORK — A subsidiary of Pfizer has extended the expiration date of its tender offer to acquire all outstanding shares of common stock of King Pharmaceuticals.

Parker Tennessee's tender offer now is scheduled to expire Jan. 21, as certain conditions to the tender offer wouldn't have been satisfied by the previously scheduled expiration date — which was Dec. 17 — including the expiration or earlier termination of any waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act.