Costco Wholesale Corp.

PLMA President Brian Sharoff reviews some of 2004's key trends in private label -- and hints at what's to come.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed a bill Saturday that would have required economic impact reports before local governments approve Wal-Mart-style supercenters, according to published reports.

The state of the economy is having a heavy impact on the spending patterns of many Wal-Mart customers, said H. Lee Scott, president and c.e.o of Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. at Goldman Sachs' 11th Annual Global Retailing Conference. But while some conditions are real, such as high fuel prices, others may be exaggerated in consumers' minds by negative media reports.

MELBOURNE - Warehouse-style retailer Costco Wholesale Corp., which currently operates stores in Korea, Taiwan, and Japan, among other countries, is eyeing Australia as a new growth market, according to published reports.

BENTONVILLE, Ark. - In response to weaker-than-expected August sales for retailers, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. cut back its financial forecasts.

MINNEAPOLIS - Target Corp. completed the sale of its Mervyn's department store division -- a promotional, middle-market department store with 257 stores in 13 states primarily in the West and South -- to an investment consortium, as well as the divesture of Mervyn's $475 million credit card receivables to GE Consumer Finance.

SAN FRANCISCO - Shirley "Rae" Ellis, a Costco assistant warehouse manager in Douglas County, Colo., filed a national sex discrimination class action yesterday in federal court here, claiming that the Issaquah, Wash.-based warehouse club chain doesn't give female employees promotions to high-paying assistant and general store manager positions.

NEW YORK - Grocers' cross-channel competitors offered a mixed bag of July sales reports, with warehouse clubs riding fuel price hikes to the stronger results, while other discounters delivered softer performances in the month.