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eBay Israel has entered into a first-of-its-kind collaboration with the Israeli Diamond Exchange aimed at expanding the country’s global diamond trade and boosting the online role of sellers of the gems. More than 450 merchants, all Diamond Exchange members, recently attended the announcement of the unique arrangement at the Exchange Center near Tel Aviv.

Under the collaboration, members of the world’s largest diamond exchange will receive training and support to set up online stores on eBay. They must also meet strict product and service quality assurance criteria, and have necessary certification and references.

Israel’s export sales of the gems are on the rise with polished diamond exports totalling nearly $6.3 billion USD in 2014, a rise of 0.6 percent over the previous year. With sales of engagement rings on eBay witnessing exceptional year-on-year growth, this new alliance seeks to build on that momentum.

Shmuel Schnitzer, President of the Israel Diamond Exchange, believes the partnership will further benefit many of the Exchange’s 3,500 members through exposure to new international shoppers. “They’ll also be able to promote Israeli diamonds, which have gained a worldwide reputation for quality,” he said.

Elad Goldenberg, Head of Business Development for eBay Israel, agrees. “This collaboration with the Israel Diamond Exchange will open up possibilities for accredited diamond sellers to reach greater audiences and markets,” he said.

FORT WORTH, Texas, — RadioShack Corporation (NYSE: RSH) has announced that it received a notice from Salus Capital Partners, a unit of Harbinger Group, Inc., claiming covenant breaches under the $250 million Term Loan facility provided by Salus and Cerberus Business Finance, a unit of Cerberus Capital Management. The claims relate primarily to the recapitalization and investment agreement and amendment to the Company’s ABL credit facility, which in each case were entered into by the Company on October 3, 2014. RadioShack believes these claims are wrong and self-serving.

RadioShack intends to vigorously contest the claims. The Company has been advised by lenders holding a majority of the loans and commitments under its ABL credit facility that they intend to continue to extend credit to the Company in accordance with the terms of the ABL credit facility.

Joe Magnacca, RadioShack’s chief executive officer, said, “We will do everything we can to assure that these claims do not distract us from our ongoing efforts to rationalize our capital structure and transform our business. We will maintain our focus on operating our business as we move forward.”

Magnacca continued: “Despite their intimate knowledge of the challenges that RadioShack faced when they extended credit to us late last year, our current term lenders have repeatedly blocked our efforts to accelerate and intensify our turnaround and make smart decisions for our business. Now, prompted by their narrow self-interest, they appear to be trying to manufacture a problem during the critical Holiday shopping season in an effort to get out of a loan on which they have already reaped more than $35 million in fees and interest payments.”

“We intend to do everything in our power to prevent them from using what we see as unfounded technical arguments to benefit unjustly at the expense of other creditors, the hundreds of communities we serve, the many other businesses we support and the jobs of more than 25,000 hard-working people,” Magnacca said.

Magnacca continued, “This is particularly disturbing in light of meaningful steps we have taken in our turnaround plan, as well as the recapitalization steps announced in October which, if conditions are satisfied, would result in the conversion of at least $120 million of debt into equity.” Among the operational steps taken by RadioShack are the following:

The Company has reconfigured store hours at select locations that are expected to reduce annual operating costs by $35 million and have also completed major cost reduction projects, principally saving costs in IT and more efficient DC operations, of over $39 million.
As the Company has communicated clearly to the term lenders, it has additional cost-reduction measures in process that it intends to announce in connection with its upcoming quarterly earnings release, which it believes could save an additional $200 million or more in operating expenses beyond the impact of the store closures, dramatically improving the cash flow of its business.
An additional critical cost reduction measure involves the closure of up to 1,100 stores so that the Company can focus on its profitable, go-forward locations. Earlier this year, RadioShack asked the term lenders for consent to close these stores, which the Company estimates would have enhanced overall EBITDA by about $83 million and created an additional $87 million of liquidity from reduced and focused inventory levels. They refused unless the Company paid significant fees, prepaid a substantial portion of their debt and agreed to other covenants and concessions that the Company believed to be unreasonable, even though these store closures would have clearly benefited the Company and its stakeholders.

Then, in late October, RadioShack requested that the term lenders consent to the closure of a smaller but significant portion of these same stores, but they again refused. Most recently, RadioShack repeated its request that the term lenders consent to permit the closure of up to 1,100 stores to provide the Company with a rational store base going forward, and yet still has not received their approval. For RadioShack, these requests, for months, have been about the Company’s continued efforts to transform its business, serve its customers and preserve the jobs of the vast majority of its employees.

Magnacca concluded: “It appears to us that the term lenders seek only to advance their particular interests at the expense of all other RadioShack stakeholders and will oppose any common sense business move requiring their consent unless the Company agrees to their exorbitant demands. The Company calls on them to rescind their notice and related demands and instead grant approval for the Company to take action that would benefit all creditors and other stakeholders.”

Today Target Corporation (NYSE:TGT) (the “Company”) announces that it plans to discontinue operating stores in Canada through its indirect wholly-owned subsidiary, Target Canada Co. (“Target Canada”). As a part of that process, this morning Target Canada filed an application for protection under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act (the “CCAA”) with the Ontario Superior Court of Justice (Commercial List) in Toronto (the “Court”).

“When I joined Target, I promised our team and shareholders that I would take a hard look at our business and operations in an effort to improve our performance and transform our company. After a thorough review of our Canadian performance and careful consideration of the implications of all options, we were unable to find a realistic scenario that would get Target Canada to profitability until at least 2021. Personally, this was a very difficult decision, but it was the right decision for our company. With the full support of Target Corporation’s Board of Directors, we have determined that it is in the best interest of our business and our shareholders to exit the Canadian market and focus on driving growth and building further momentum in our U.S. business,” said Brian Cornell, Target Corporation Chairman and CEO.

Target Canada currently has 133 stores across the country and employs approximately 17,600 people. To ensure fair treatment of Target Canada employees, Target Corporation is seeking the Court’s approval to voluntarily make cash contributions of C$70 million (approximately US$59 million) into an Employee Trust. Upon approval by the Court, the proposed trust would provide that nearly all Target Canada-based employees receive a minimum of 16 weeks of compensation, including wages and benefits coverage for employees who are not required for the full wind-down period. Target Canada stores will remain open during the liquidation process.

As part of its application, Target Canada is seeking the appointment of Alvarez & Marsal Canada as Monitor in the CCAA proceedings to oversee the liquidation and wind-down process for Target Canada and its subsidiaries. Subject to Court approval, Target Corporation has committed to provide a US$175 million debtor-in-possession credit facility to finance Target Canada’s operations during the CCAA proceedings. Target Canada is also seeking Court approval to engage Lazard to advise Target Canada in connection with the sale of its real estate assets.

“The Target Canada team has worked tirelessly to improve the fundamentals, fix operations and build a deeper relationship with our guests. We hoped that these efforts in Canada would lead to a successful holiday season, but we did not see the required step-change in our holiday performance,” said Cornell. “There is no doubt that the next several weeks will be difficult, but we will make every effort to handle our exit in an appropriate and orderly way.”

As a result of the CCAA filing, Target Corporation has determined that Target Canada and its subsidiaries will be deconsolidated from Target Corporation’s financial statements as of the date of the filing. Target Corporation expects to report approximately $5.4 billion of pre-tax losses on discontinued operations in the fourth quarter of 2014, driven primarily by the write-down of the Corporation’s investment in Target Canada, along with costs associated with exit or disposal activities and quarter-to-date Canadian Segment operating losses prior to today’s filing. Target Corporation expects to report approximately $275 million of pre-tax losses on discontinued operations in fiscal 2015.

Target Corporation’s cash costs to discontinue Canadian operations are expected to be $500 million to $600 million, most of which will occur in the Company’s 2015 fiscal year or later. The Company has sufficient resources to fund these expected costs, including cash on hand and ongoing cash generation by its U.S. business.

Target Corporation expects this decision will increase its earnings in fiscal 2015 and beyond, and increase its cash flow in fiscal 2016 and beyond.

As a result of the decision announced today, Target Corporation will operate as a single segment that includes all U.S. operations. Beginning with the Company’s fourth quarter 2014 financial results, Target will report adjusted earnings per share reflecting operating results from its U.S. operations, excluding discontinued Canadian operations, the impact of the reduction of the beneficial interest asset recognized in connection with the 2013 sale of the Company’s U.S. consumer credit card portfolio, net expenses related to the 2013 data breach, and the resolution of certain tax matters.

Target Corporation plans to provide additional information on the financial implications of this announcement in a Form 8-K to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission later today.

Update on expected fourth quarter U.S. performance

Based on performance through November and December, Target Corporation now expects to report fourth quarter 2014 U.S. comparable sales of approximately 3 percent, better than prior guidance of approximately 2 percent, driven primarily by increased traffic and stronger-than-expected digital sales. The Company expects to report fourth quarter adjusted EPS, reflecting results from continuing operations, of $1.43 to $1.47, about 6 cents ahead of expectations for U.S. Segment performance at the beginning of the quarter.

The Company is not able to provide an estimate of its expected fourth quarter 2014 GAAP EPS. However, GAAP results are expected to include:

Losses related to liquidation of Target Canada, as described above, net of taxes
Net expenses related to the 2013 data breach, which are not expected to be material
Impact of the reduction of the beneficial interest asset recognized in connection with the 2013 sale of the Company’s credit card portfolio, which is expected to reduce GAAP EPS by approximately 2 cents
Cornell and John Mulligan, Target Corporation’s Chief Financial Officer, will host a call with investors today, approximately two hours after the conclusion of the Court hearing of the CCAA application. Target Corporation will issue a press release following the Court hearing and post details for the call on target.com/investors under “Upcoming Events and Presentations.”

Miscellaneous

Statements in this release regarding expected earnings and cash flow and other financial impacts of exiting the Company’s Canadian operations, and fourth quarter 2014 sales and adjusted earnings guidance are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements speak only as of the date they are made and are subject to risks and uncertainties which could cause the Company’s actual results to differ materially. The most important risks and uncertainties include those relating to the consequences of discontinuing Canadian operations and the risks described in Item 1A of the Company’s Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended February 1, 2014, as updated in the Company’s Form 10-Q for the quarter ended November 1, 2014.

The adjusted earnings per share expectation for fourth quarter 2014 excludes the items identified above. The Company’s measure of adjusted earnings per share is not in accordance with, or an alternative for, generally accepted accounting principles in the United States. The most comparable GAAP measure is diluted earnings per share. Management believes adjusted EPS is useful in providing period-to-period comparisons of the results of the Company’s U.S. operations. Adjusted EPS should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for an analysis of the Company’s results as reported under GAAP. Other companies may calculate adjusted EPS differently than the Company does, limiting the usefulness of the measure for comparisons with other companies.

About Target
Minneapolis-based Target Corporation (NYSE: TGT) serves guests at 1,934 stores – 1,801 in the United States and 133 in Canada – and at Target.com. Since 1946, Target has given 5 percent of its profit to communities, that giving equals more than $4 million a week. For more information, visit Target.com/Pressroom. For a behind-the-scenes look at Target, visit ABullseyeView.com or follow @TargetNews on Twitter.

Ever since the founding of Alibaba Group in 1999, it has been our mission to make it easy to do business anywhere. This ease of doing business must be facilitated by trust. We believe that trust is the basis for wealth and that trust is an important currency that makes our e-commerce platforms tick. All the work that we have done over the past 15 years underscores this belief.

Since the establishment of Taobao in 2003, Alibaba Group has constantly fought to protect the interests of consumers in the Internet space and together with our valued government partners, we have made great strides in addressing this issue.

However counterfeiting is a global problem and one that we need to face together as a society. From Alibaba Group’s perspective, we bear a serious responsibility in this fight against counterfeits. Jack Ma said yesterday – if e-commerce does well in China, that may have little to do with Alibaba Group, but if counterfeits in society are not tackled effectively, it has a lot to do with Alibaba Group.

In our years of combating this problem, we have built cooperative relationships with various government bodies to combat counterfeiting at its source in order to safeguard the interests of consumers. We have built systems and services like Alipay that are based on trust and are there to protect the consumer because in the end, counterfeiting hurts Alibaba Group as consumers who receive fake goods may no longer want to shop on our platforms.

Thankfully, Internet technology has made it easier for transactions to be traced. This means that by analyzing transaction data we can trace counterfeiters who sell online. Through the analysis of big data, online sources of counterfeit products can be tracked offline, making it easier to enforcement authorities to do their work.

Secondly, we believe that protecting customer rights and combating counterfeits should be a long-term and persistent goal. To achieve that, support needs to come from all levels of society. Through the years, Alibaba Group has become more effective at protecting consumer rights and combating counterfeits. According to the latest data available, only 3.5 transactions in every 10,000 transactions received customer complaints,
22% decline from last year.

Effectively combating the counterfeiting issue requires the active involvement from different government agencies and authorities, as the root of the counterfeit problem is offline. By collaborating with China’s Public Security Bureau, the General Administration of Quality Supervision, China’s State Intellectual Property Office and State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television and leveraging new tools such as the Internet and big data, Alibaba hopes that these measures will be impactful in combating fakes in the real world. We hope that by exposing counterfeiters and supporting the fight in a long-term fashion, fakes can be eliminated one day.

We would like to thank the various government ministries and the “Office of the National Leading Group on the Fight Against IPR Infringement and Counterfeiting” for their guidance as we know the battle against counterfeits is not easy. It is our hope that with these efforts, consumers will no longer feel worried about buying counterfeits online and brands are no longer plagued by fake goods and that the market will become
one where honest people get to take a larger share of the market.

SEATTLE–Dec. 18, 2014– Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) today announced Prime Now, the newest benefit for Prime members, which offers one-hour delivery on tens of thousands of daily essentials through a mobile app. Prime Now is powered by Amazon’s growing network of fulfillment centers that utilize high-end technology to speed up order delivery times for customers. Now, Prime members can get products like paper towels, shampoo, books, toys and batteries delivered right to their door in an hour or less.

“There are times when you can’t make it to the store and other times when you simply don’t want to go. There are so many reasons to skip the trip and now Prime members in Manhattan can get the items they need delivered in an hour or less,” said Dave Clark, Amazon’s senior vice president of worldwide operations. “We’ve long felt that Amazon Prime is the best deal in the history of shopping and now it has gotten even better. Prime members in Manhattan are going to love this service and we cannot wait to roll out Prime Now to additional cities in 2015.”

Amazon is launching Prime Now in select areas of Manhattan today. All Prime members can immediately download the Prime Now app, available on iOS and Android devices, and will be notified when the service is available in their local area. Prime Now is available from 6 a.m. to midnight, seven days a week. Two-hour delivery is free and one-hour delivery is available for $7.99. A portion of Amazon’s new building on 34th Street in Manhattan will serve as a hub for delivery of Prime Now orders.

Tens of millions of members around the world already enjoy Prime. In the US, membership includes unlimited Free Two-Day Shipping on more than 20 million items, instant streaming of tens of thousands of movies and TV episodes through Prime Instant Video, one million songs and hundreds of playlists through Prime Music, free unlimited photo storage through Amazon’s Cloud Drive, early access to select Lightning Deals and access to over 600,000 books to borrow through the Kindle Owners’ Lending Library.

Learn more about Amazon Prime Now and download the mobile app at www.amazon.com/primenow.

About Amazon Prime
Amazon Prime is an annual membership program for $99 a year that offers customers unlimited Free Two-Day Shipping on more than 20 million items across all categories, unlimited streaming of tens of thousands of movies and TV episodes with Prime Instant Video, one million songs and hundreds of playlists with Prime Music, early access to select Lightning Deals and access to more than 600,000 books to borrow with the Kindle Owners’ Lending Library. Not a member? Start a free trial of Amazon Prime at www.amazon.com/prime.

About Amazon
Amazon.com opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995. The company is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Fire phone, Fire tablets, and Fire TV are some of the products and services pioneered by Amazon.

PHOENIX & NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Dec. 14, 2014– PetSmart, Inc. (NASDAQ:PETM) today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by a consortium led by BC Partners, Inc. at a price of $83.00 per share in cash, representing a premium of approximately 39% over PetSmart’s unaffected closing share price on July 2, 2014. The consortium includes Funds advised by BC Partners (“the BC Funds”), alongside several of its limited partners, including La Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (“La Caisse”) and StepStone. Longview Asset Management, which owns or manages approximately 9% of PetSmart’s outstanding shares has committed to vote in favor of the transaction. Longview will participate in the consortium only with respect to approximately one-third of its holdings, with the balance of its holdings receiving the same $83.00 per share cash transaction consideration as PetSmart’s public shareholders will receive.

The transaction would be valued at approximately $8.7 billion, representing a 9.1x multiple of PetSmart’s adjusted EBITDA1 for the twelve months ending November 2, 2014.

The announcement follows a thorough review of strategic alternatives undertaken by the PetSmart Board of Directors to maximize shareholder value which began over the summer. The transaction was unanimously approved by the PetSmart Board and is subject to shareholder and regulatory approval and other customary closing conditions. The consortium has received fully committed debt financing in connection with the transaction. The transaction is expected to close in the first half of 2015.

“We are pleased to have reached this agreement with BC Partners, which maximizes value for all of our shareholders and best positions PetSmart to continue to meet the needs of pet parents,” said Gregory P. Josefowicz, Chairman of PetSmart. “This transaction represents the successful conclusion of our extensive review of strategic alternatives.”

“This transaction is a testament to the strength of the PetSmart brand and franchise and reflects the dedication and commitment of our 54,000 associates to serving our customers and delivering value for our company and our shareholders,“ said David K. Lenhardt, President and Chief Executive Officer. “The consortium led by BC Partners will be an excellent partner for PetSmart as we continue to implement our strategic plan to capitalize on our opportunities for growth and meet the needs of pet parents.”

“We are very pleased to add PetSmart to our portfolio of investments. PetSmart is an iconic brand and the category leader in the growing pet retail industry. We look forward to working with management to continue growing PetSmart’s business and executing against its recently announced strategic initiatives,” said Raymond Svider, a Managing Partner at BC Partners.

“This is an excellent outcome for PetSmart shareholders; it delivers significant and immediate value while best positioning the company for the future,” said James A. Star, President & CEO of Longview Asset Management. “We fully support the transaction.”

J.P. Morgan Securities LLC is serving as the exclusive financial advisor to the company, and Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz is serving as the company’s legal advisor. BC Partners and its consortium investors were advised by Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP and Ernst & Young. Longview was represented by Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom. Citigroup, Nomura, Jefferies, Barclays and Deutsche Bank, have underwritten the debt package to finance the acquisition.

About PetSmart
PetSmart, Inc. (NASDAQ: PETM) is the largest specialty pet retailer of services and solutions for the lifetime needs of pets. At PetSmart, we believe pets make us better people. That’s why we create more moments for people to be inspired by pets. This mission impacts everything we do for our customers, the way we support our associates, and how we give back to our communities. We employ approximately 54,000 associates, operate approximately 1,387 pet stores in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico and approximately 201 in-store PetSmart® PetsHotel® dog and cat boarding facilities. PetSmart provides a broad range of competitively priced pet food and pet products and offers dog training, pet grooming, pet boarding, PetSmart Doggie Day Camp day care services and pet adoption services in-store. Through petsmart.com and pet360.com, we offer the most comprehensive online pet supplies and pet care information in the U.S., and through our in-store pet adoption partnership with independent nonprofit organizations, PetSmart Charities® and PetSmart Charities® of Canada, PetSmart helps to save the lives of more than 400,000 homeless pets each year. In addition, PetSmart supports organizations that make communities a better place to call home through our philanthropy program, PetSmart Gives Back™. By giving back to the communities where we live and work, PetSmart not only celebrates the power of pets to enrich people’s lives—we live it.

About BC Partners
Founded in 1986 as one of the few truly pan-European buy-out investors, BC Partners has grown and evolved into a leader in buy-outs, principally investing in larger businesses in the region and selectively in North America through its established network of offices in London, Paris, Hamburg and New York. BC Partners continues to identify attractive investment opportunities by focusing on the best balance of risk and reward for its investors and is currently advising funds totaling over €12 billion.
Since inception, BC Partners has completed 85 acquisitions with a total enterprise value of €88 billion and has delivered superior returns through economic cycles, demonstrating discipline in bull markets and an ability to invest in attractive opportunities amidst turbulence and recession.

About La Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec
La Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec is a long-term institutional investor that manages funds primarily for public and parapublic pension and insurance plans. As at June 30, 2014, it held $214.7 billion in net assets. As one of Canada’s leading institutional fund managers, La Caisse invests in major financial markets, private equity, infrastructure and real estate, globally. For more information: www.lacaisse.com.

About StepStone
StepStone is a global private markets specialist overseeing approximately US$60 billion of private capital allocations, including over US$11 billion of assets under management. The Firm creates customized portfolios for the world’s most sophisticated investors using a highly disciplined research-focused approach that prudently integrates primaries, secondaries, and co-investments.

About Longview
Longview Asset Management is an investment firm that oversees direct public and private investments on behalf of individuals, trusts, and charitable foundations associated with a private family. Longview’s public market investments span a broad range of industries, including health care, manufacturing, aerospace, software, and business and financial services. As a steward of permanent capital with minimal liquidity needs, Longview also works flexibly with management teams and financial sponsors to acquire and hold private businesses, and has completed such investments in a range of industries including banking, manufacturing, direct marketing, food service, education, and hydrocarbon infrastructure.

BOCA RATON, Fla. -Office Depot, Inc. (NASDAQ: ODP), a leading global provider of office products, services, and solutions formed by the merger of Office Depot and OfficeMax, today launched its Elf Who Helps Small Business contest, designed to give small businesses the opportunity to win the extra help they need to complete their end-of-year to-do lists on time and on budget.

Holidays are a busy time for small businesses as they juggle daily tasks, prepare for the close of the year and fit in holiday office parties and business gifting. Office Depot and OfficeMax want to give select small businesses the assistance they need. Powered by TaskRabbit, a peer-to-peer marketplace that helps local users outsource everything from household errands to skilled tasks, Elf Who Helps will give the winning small businesses the boost they need to close out the year feeling organized and ready to tackle 2015.

“From client holiday gifting to closing out the year’s financials, the bustle of the holiday season for all businesses is about to begin, and we have all heard it before that there is not enough hands to complete the work, and that is exactly what Office Depot and OfficeMax will deliver to 14 lucky winners,” said Eduardo Souchon, senior marketing director for Office Depot, Inc. “With more time and money being spent during the busy holiday season, we want to give back and make sure these small businesses have what they need to boost their success into the new year and beyond.”

Now through November 12, small business owners and employees can participate by visiting the Elf Who Helps website and submitting, in 150 words or less, what task they need assistance with and how it will help them. Fourteen small businesses will be selected to receive a variety of products and a $1,000 gift card supplied by Office Depot and OfficeMax to organize their businesses, as well as up to two days of on-site services from TaskRabbit.

The Elf Who Helps Small Business is part of the overall ‘Office Depot and OfficeMax Your Holiday Workshop’ campaign to ensure businesses and individuals are prepared to give the right gifts to everyone on their list and satisfy their everyday office needs, all at a one-stop shop and at a great value. From gifts under $20 to personalized items such as designer holiday and photo cards, photo canvases and calendars, and convenient in-store mailing and shipping via UPS, FedEx and USPS, Office Depot and OfficeMax have some of the seasons most sought after gifts and services at great values. A go-to gift-giving headquarters, Office Depot and OfficeMax will also have extended shipping hours.

To enter the Elf Who Helps Small Business contest, please visit www.elfwhohelps.com. Contest ends November 22 and winners will be announced on December 8. Official contest rules are as follows: No purchase or payment necessary to enter or win. A purchase will not increase your chances of winning. Void where prohibited by law or regulation. Contest is open to legal US/DC residents (18) years of age or older and who either own or is an employee of a small business are eligible to enter the Contest on behalf of an eligible Small Business. Entry begins on 10/22/14 at 12:00:01 a.m. EDT and ends on 11/12/14 at 11:59:59 p.m. EST. All eligible entries will be judged to determine up to (14) winning entries. Winners announced 12/8/14. Sponsor: Office Depot, Inc., 6600 North Military Trail, C513B, Boca Raton, FL 33496. For important terms, conditions and Official Rules visit www.elfwhohelps.com.

About Office Depot, Inc.

Formed by the merger of Office Depot and OfficeMax, Office Depot, Inc. is a leading global provider of products, services, and solutions for every workplace – whether your workplace is an office, home, school, or car.

Office Depot, Inc. is a resource and a catalyst to help customers work better. We are a single source for everything customers need to be more productive, including the latest technology, core office supplies, print and document services, business services, facilities products, furniture, and school essentials.

The company has combined pro forma annual sales of approximately $17 billion, employs more than 60,000 associates, and serves consumers and businesses in 57 countries with more than 2,000 retail stores, award-winning e-commerce sites and a dedicated business-to-business sales organization – all delivered through a global network of wholly owned operations, joint ventures, franchisees, licensees and alliance partners. The company operates under several banner brands including Office Depot, OfficeMax, OfficeMax Grand & Toy, Reliable and Viking. The company’s portfolio of exclusive product brands include TUL, Foray, DiVOGA, Ativa, WorkPRO, Realspace and HighMark.

Office Depot, Inc.’s common stock is listed on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol ODP. Additional press information can be found at: http://news.officedepot.com.

About TaskRabbit
The pioneer in “service networking,” TaskRabbit provides people and businesses with an easy, trusted and secure way to get both everyday and skilled tasks done. A two-way marketplace, TaskRabbit connects people who need help, with our ‘Taskers,’ a network of 30,000 pre-approved and background-checked individuals, who have the time and skills needed to complete the job, letting everyone live smarter. TaskRabbit is a one-stop marketplace for home and office services, including cleaning, handyman tasks, organization, deliveries, and moving help. For more information, visit http://www.taskrabbit.com or follow TaskRabbit on Twitter and Facebook.

New York, NY – To recognize the company’s commitment to pre-K-12 educators and administrators, Barnes & Noble, Inc. (NYSE: BKS), the nation’s largest retail bookseller and the leading retailer of content, digital media and educational products, is offering teachers a special holiday shopping event on Saturday, December 6.

Educators who shop at their local Barnes & Noble store or online at BN.com will receive special discounts* on merchandise:

25% discount on personal and classroom book purchases, including Children’s and Teen titles and educational toys and games;
25% discount on music, movies, tech gear and more;
10% off the current price of the Samsung Galaxy Tab® 4 NOOK® and NOOK GlowLight**; and
10% discount on all Café consumable purchases.
These special offers are available to pre-K-12 teachers and administrators enrolled in the free Barnes & Noble Educator Discount program. To take advantage of these offers, educators can apply for their Barnes & Noble Educator Discount Card in their local stores. The application form is available in stores or can be downloaded at BN.com.

“Barnes & Noble is pleased to continue our tradition of offering educators a special day of discounted holiday shopping on December 6,” said Sarah DiFrancesco, Vice President of Business Development, Barnes & Noble, Inc. “Teachers may use the discount to purchase holiday gifts for co-workers or students, special items for their classrooms or treat themselves to something special. Teachers help make our country great by educating our children—and Barnes & Noble wants them to know they are valued and appreciated.”

Educators attending the one-day holiday shopping event can also receive information about Barnes & Noble’s 2015 My Favorite Teacher Contest, which provides middle and high school students the opportunity to tell their communities how much they appreciate their teachers by writing an essay, poem or letter about them. Local winning teachers are recognized at an in-store event in the spring and are eligible to win prizes at the regional level. One regional winner will be named the Barnes & Noble National Teacher of the Year and receive a cash prize of $5,000, with their school also receiving $5,000. The My Favorite Teacher Contest runs from September 8, 2014, to March 1, 2015.

Educators can follow Barnes & Noble on Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr, and like Barnes & Noble on Facebook, for the latest information about upcoming events and promotions. Fans can follow NOOK on Facebook, Google+ and Twitter to learn more about special offers and promotions.

Educators are encouraged to visit the Store Locator (http://store-locator.barnesandnoble.com) to find a Barnes & Noble location near them.

* Exclusions can be found in the Educator Program Terms and Conditions available at www.bn.com/bn-at-school. Educators must present a valid Barnes & Noble Educator Discount Card to receive the discounts. See any bookseller for details. Electronics products only available in select stores.

** Limit of five devices per customer with the presentation of a valid Barnes & Noble Educator Discount Card.

About Barnes & Noble, Inc.
Barnes & Noble, Inc. (NYSE: BKS) is a Fortune 500 company, the nation’s largest retail bookseller and the leading retailer of content, digital media and educational products. The Company operates 658 Barnes & Noble bookstores in 50 states, and one of the Web’s largest e-commerce sites, BN.com (www.bn.com). Its NOOK Media LLC subsidiary is a leader in the emerging digital reading and digital education markets. The NOOK digital business offers award-winning NOOK® products and an expansive collection of digital reading and entertainment content through the NOOK Store® (www.nook.com), while Barnes & Noble College Booksellers LLC operates 705 bookstores serving over five million students and faculty members at colleges and universities across the United States. General information on Barnes & Noble, Inc. can be obtained by visiting the Company’s corporate website: www.barnesandnobleinc.com.

INDIANAPOLIS, Dec. 2, 2014 – Simon®, a global leader in retail real estate, and eBay Inc., a global commerce and payments leader, together unveiled the ‘Connected Mall,’ a new, interactive directory to enhance the mall shopping experience. The ‘Connected Mall’ went live this holiday season at Stanford Shopping Center in Palo Alto, California. The immersive mall experience begins with a smart directory developed by eBay Inc. for the Simon Innovation Group, elevating the shopping experience by providing consumers with a suite of services, including point-to-point navigation and personalized offers and deals.

The ‘Connected Mall’ provides retailers a way to encourage shopper visits to their stores while also providing eBay Inc. and Simon with important customer feedback on how to better serve their needs. Shoppers will enjoy benefits from having a more interactive and personal experience to seamlessly navigate their shopping this holiday season.

Features of the new digital directory include:

A 72″ LCD, full HD, all-weather touchscreen viewable in direct sunlight
Mall maps available in 3D view, with accurate orientation of the shopper within the mall to their exact location, including the direction he/she is facing
The option to browse through the interactive map, events, services and store deals, also allowing a shopper to search for what they are looking for by touching multiple categories (food, services, retail, restroom, etc.)
Upon selection of a specific store or service needed, the interactive map will highlight its location and the best route
The shopper can then push the directions to their mobile phone and follow the recommended path to their selected store (International mobile numbers are accepted)
A “today” button that highlights events and deals happening on that specific day
Handicap feature allows the shopper to shift the orientation of the map and menu, creating a more easily accessible experience
“Simon and the Retail Innovation Division of eBay Inc. have been working on an exclusive basis in the mall space to enhance the shopping experience and provide retailers with a new and compelling way to engage shoppers,” said Mikael Thygesen, Simon’s Chief Marketing Officer. “We’re excited about our ‘Connected Mall’ initiative with eBay. It’s a great example of leveraging technology in a useful, relevant way in the mall environment, and we look forward to continuing to work with eBay on future initiatives.”

“eBay Inc. is revolutionizing shopping by bringing the best of digital technologies into the physical world. The ‘Connected Mall’ pilot with Simon provides shoppers with real-time retail information and deals that will shape mall traffic,” said Steve Yankovich, vice president of Innovation and New Ventures, eBay Inc. “This eBay Inc. technology and others will continue to provide consumers with white glove retail shopping experiences.”

About Simon
Simon is a global leader in retail real estate ownership, management and development and a S&P100 company (Simon Property Group, NYSE:SPG). Our industry-leading retail properties and investments across North America, Europe and Asia provide shopping experiences for millions of consumers every day and generate billions in annual retail sales. For more information, visit simon.com.

About Stanford Shopping Center
Stanford Shopping Center is anchored by Neiman Marcus, Bloomingdale’s, Nordstrom, Macy’s, and Macy’s Men’s. There are more than 140 world-class stores and restaurants, all in a spectacular outdoor garden environment. For more information, visit stanfordshop.com.

To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/simon-and-ebay-inc-launch-connected-mall-at-stanford-shopping-center-300003069.html

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill., Sears and Kmart, two leading integrated retailers, have turned Cyber Monday into a weeklong savings event to make holiday shopping easier for Shop Your Way members and customers. Cyber Week deals start Sun. Nov 30 at 12:00 a.m. and run for seven days to Sat. Dec 6 at 11:59 p.m. on Sears.com/cyber and Kmart.com/cyberweek.

Plus, through the unique online/in-store collaboration between Sears and Kmart, members and customers can avoid shipping and conveniently pick up their gifts at more than 1,800 locations, ready in five minutes or less. Shoppers can look for items marked “Free Store Pickup” on Sears.com or Kmart.com and before adding the item to the cart, select Free Store Pickup and the preferred pickup location – at any Sears or Kmart nationwide.

“Schedules are tight around the holiday season. With free store pickup, members and customers have another way to get the hottest items of the season quickly,” said Imran Jooma, executive vice president, Sears Holdings. “For a full week, shoppers have the chance to take advantage of these great deals from Sears and Kmart while making sure all of the items on their gift-lists are checked off before it’s too late in the season.”

Sears Cyber Week Deals:

Save $80 on Kenmore Elite 5 Qt. 400 Watt Stand Mixers; sale price $169.99, regularly priced at $249.99
Save $30 on Craftsman C3 19.2V Lithium-Ion Hammer Drill Kit; sale price $99.99; regularly priced at $129.99, plus members get an extra 10% off tools purchases at Sears.com* (exclusions apply)
Save $530 on the Kenmore 25 cu. ft. Side-by-Side Stainless Steel Refrigerator; value priced at $819.99, regularly priced at $1,349.99
Save up to 50% on all outerwear for men, women and children; regularly priced $30 – $180, plus an extra 25% off using coupon code: CYBER25. Visit Sears.com/cyber for restrictions
Save 60% on select women’s fashion boots, including the Bongo Women’s Sedgwick Brown Buckle Booties; sale price $18.99, regularly priced at $49.99
Plus, Sears.com features more than 140 million items available via its fast-growing online marketplace, which recently added name brands never before offered at sears.com to one of the largest marketplaces on the web.

Kmart Cyber Week Deals:

Kmart is bringing back the best deals on the hottest gifts for the holidays during Cyber Week, including:

Save $100 on a RCA 46″ 1080p LED HDTV; sale price $349.99, reg. price $449.99 (available Sun. Nov. 30 to Sat. Dec. 6)
Up to 40 percent off Joe Boxer apparel for the entire family plus save an extra 15-25% off with code CYBER25 (available Sun. Nov. 30 to Sat. Dec. 6)
$78.99 Sportspower 4pc. Table Tennis Table; reg. price $139.99 (available Sun. Nov. 30 to Sat. Dec. 6)
50 percent off Hasbro games (available Sun. Nov. 30 to Sat. Dec. 6)
Save $70 on Craftsman 42 piece 1/4 and 3/8-inch Drive Bit and Torx Bit Socket Wrench Set, priced at $29.99, reg. price $99.99 (available Sun. Nov. 30 to Sat. Dec. 6)
Sears and Kmart offer best-in-class integrated retail options so members and customers can enjoy smarter and more flexible ways to shop including:

Free Shipping: Sears and Kmart offer free standard shipping on orders of $59 or more at Sears.com and Kmart.com.
Shop Your Way MAX Free 2-Day Shipping – Free 2-day shipping is available on qualifying Sears.com, Kmart.com, ShopYourWay.com and mobile orders for Shop Your Way MAX members to ensure holiday packages get to their destination in time.
In-Vehicle Pickup (Sears): Shoppers can select In-Vehicle Pickup for Sears.com orders and a Sears associate will bring the item out to the car in five minutes or less.
Free Anyone, Anywhere Pickup: As an added option to save on shipping costs, Free Anyone, Anywhere Pickup lets customers purchase gifts online and have friends or family pick them up at a local Kmart or Sears in a different city.
Follow the conversation on Twitter and Facebook about Sears holiday at #MoreMerry, Kmart at #MoreChristmas, and Shop Your Way at #MembersFirst.

*Exclusions for tools: Must be Sold By Sears. Excludes As Seen on TV, Great Price, Clearance, Hot Buy, Smart Buy, Unilateral Pricing Policy items, items with an Online Only Price and Hot price items. Also excludes Portable Power Tools and Compressors. This offer cannot be combined with any other offers. Excludes DeWalt, Fathead, RoomMates, Extech, FLIR, Fluke, REVO, Tormek, Panasonic and The Uttermost Company Brands. Sears store price match is not permitted. Additional items may be excluded.

About Sears, Roebuck and Co.
Sears, Roebuck and Co., a wholly owned subsidiary of Sears Holdings Corporation (NASDAQ: SHLD), is a leading integrated retailer providing merchandise and related services and is part of Shop Your Way, a social shopping experience where members have the ability to earn points and receive benefits across a wide variety of physical and digital formats through shopyourway.com. Sears, Roebuck offers its wide range of home merchandise, apparel and automotive products and services through Sears-branded and affiliated full-line and specialty retail stores in the United States. Sears, Roebuck also offers a variety of merchandise and services through sears.com, landsend.com and specialty catalogs. Sears, Roebuck offers consumers leading proprietary brands including Kenmore, Craftsman, and DieHard — among the most trusted and preferred brands in the U.S. The company is the nation’s largest provider of home services, with more than 14 million service and installation calls made annually. For more information, visit the Sears, Roebuck website at www.sears.com or the Sears Holdings Corporation website at www.searsholdings.com.

About Kmart
Kmart, a wholly owned subsidiary of Sears Holdings Corporation (NASDAQ: SHLD), is a mass merchandising company and part of Shop Your Way, a social shopping experience where members have the ability to earn points and receive benefits across a wide variety of physical and digital formats through shopyourway.com. Kmart offers customers quality products through a portfolio of exclusive brands that include Sofia by Sofia Vergara, Jaclyn Smith, Joe Boxer, Route 66 and Smart Sense. For more information visit the company’s website at www.kmart.com | Sears Holdings Corporation website at www.searsholdings.com

How are the lines between online and offline commerce blurring? Beginning today, eBay Inc. and Rebecca Minkoff are unveiling the future of retail through a Connected Store powered by eBay Inc. located in SoHo, New York City (96 Greene St.). Using eBay Inc. technology, this store showcases a digital and connected shopping experience that merges the online and physical shopping experience. The store provides a clear example of the intersection of ecommerce and technology in the retail space.

Following the first Connected Store in New York, others in San Francisco and Los Angeles will arrive on Nov. 19th and in 2015, respectively. The stores feature “connected walls” — mirrored displays showing video and inspirational content that shoppers can touch to request associates to prepare fitting rooms and order drinks. Upon arrival in the stores, shoppers can use the Rebecca Minkoff iOS mobile app to discover shopping options built around their personal profiles (download in the Apple iTunes store).

“Connected fitting rooms” in the stores will transform the mirrors into an interactive surface to request other variations and cross-sells, and even change the lighting. The rooms use RFID to “magically” recognize all items in the room and identify other sizes and colors available in the store, and allow shoppers to take their entire “fitting room” with them via mobile. Shoppers can even change the lighting with a single touch of the mirror.

“How do you most efficiently use physical space to let people discover products?” said Steve Yankovich, Head of Innovation and New Ventures at eBay Inc. “Our retail innovation team is building out answers to that question by putting new concepts in front of consumers. These will lead to big, big changes in retail.”

“There are less and less mannequins you’ve seen in stores,” Yankovich added. “Displays, video and connected touch walls can make seeing what products look like in actual use much more engaging and true to life. Many surfaces and spaces in stores aren’t used efficiently. There are opportunities to help consumers have much more engaging shopping experiences.”


This shopping experience features new technology developed by eBay Inc. that is changing the future of retail. There are four easy steps for shoppers to take advantage of this experience: