Barnes & Noble announces the shortlists for the Barnes & Noble Children’s & Young Adult Book Awards. These annual awards give a national platform to new and emerging talent in Children’s Publishing. The shortlist in each category of Picture Books, Young Readers and Young Adult is selected by the booksellers at Barnes & Noble who specialize in Children’s bookselling in stores across the country. Barnes & Noble has an astonishing track record for discovering, establishing and championing the careers of many authors with its Book Clubs, Monthly Picks and Book of the Year, and the Children’s & YA Book Awards play a similar role, launching hitherto little-known authors that will shape children’s literature for years to come. Last year, for its inaugural Overall Winner, B. B. Alston’s debut, Amari and the Night Brothers, enchanted the hearts of Barnes & Noble booksellers from coast to coast and went on to achieve extraordinary success.

Dear Industry Member: While we wait for President Biden to sign the Senate-passed Postal Service Reform Act (and our intel says this will happen soon), now is an ideal time to reach out to your senators if you heeded to our call to request their support of the bill. Why Bother? As an industry stakeholder, your advocacy has been critical in driving the legislation forward and it's important that legislators and staff hear from you, especially when signature pieces of legislation are enacted that will help the industry. As importantly, expressing your company's recognition and appreciation to Congressional staffs for their hard work is an essential component to relationship-building in Washington. Please try to get this done early this week by following these simple steps: • The ACMA has prepared this template for you to use. Just be sure to add your company's own information where indicated. • Click here to see which senators voted in favor of the bill - obviously, make sure you're only thanking those who voted YEA. • Click here for a list of all Senate legislative directors, which contains their email addresses and phone numbers. It's advised that you simply email them your thank-you notes.

Tilly’s, Inc. announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a share repurchase program, pursuant to which the Company may repurchase up to two million shares of the Company’s Class A common stock over the next twelve months through March 14, 2023. Repurchases of Class A common stock by the Company pursuant to the Program may be made in open market transactions effected through a broker-dealer at prevailing market prices, in block trades, or by other means in accordance with federal securities laws, including pursuant to any trading plan that may be adopted in accordance with Rule 10b5-1 of the Exchange Act. The Company is not obligated to repurchase any specific number or amount of shares of Class A common stock pursuant to the Program, and it may modify, suspend or discontinue the Program at any time. The Company will determine the timing and amount of repurchased shares, if any, in its discretion based on a variety of factors, such as the market price of Class A common stock, corporate requirements, general market economic conditions and applicable legal requirements.

Consistent with the rest of the shipping industry, USPS experienced delays in both ground and air transportation during the month of February due to inclement weather events including winter storms in the Midwest, South and Northeast regions. The Postal Service continues to implement mitigation plans to move mail and packages effectively across the nation. Additional second quarter service performance scores covering Jan.1 through March 4 included: *First-Class Mail: 86.9 percent of First-Class Mail delivered on time against the USPS service standard, a decrease of 2.3 percentage points from the fiscal first quarter. *Marketing Mail: 91.7 percent of Marketing Mail delivered on time against the USPS service standard, a decrease of .5 percentage point from the fiscal first quarter. *Periodicals: 80.5 percent of Periodicals delivered on time against the USPS service standard, a decrease of .4 percentage point from the fiscal first quarter.

Gap Inc. and NEXT Plc announced the opening of the first Gap-branded shop-in-shop within NEXT’s largest West End store on London’s Oxford Street, marking the first milestone of the joint venture franchise relationship between the two companies to manage Gap’s e-commerce business as well as Gap-branded shop-in-shops at NEXT locations. The location in central London cements Gap’s physical return to the British high street. As the largest brand shop within the store, covering over 4,000 square feet of retail space, the Gap store embodies the brand’s reinvented approach to retail in the UK with an open, modern and minimal design. Customers can shop curated collections of elevated everyday essentials including denim, fleece, khakis, shirting and iconic logo product for women, men and kids. A customization shop offering embroidery, badging and monogramming will also be available to all Gap customers.

For the second year in a row, HH Global has completed a full assessment of the carbon footprint of our business and disclosed the results to CDP. CDP is a not-for-profit organization that runs the global disclosure system for investors, companies, cities, states, and regions to manage their environmental impacts. Their aim is to see a thriving economy that works for both people and planet in the long term. We are proud to announce that we have increased our rating from a C to a B for our climate change disclosure, with A ratings given for the strength of our governance and emissions reduction initiatives.

For the Fourth Quarter of Fiscal 2021: *Net sales increased 24.1% to $2.7 billion compared to $2.2 billion in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2020 due to the favorable impact from stronger consumer confidence and fewer COVID-19 restrictions compared to the fourth quarter of fiscal 2020. *Comparable sales (sales for stores open at least 14 months, including stores temporarily closed due to COVID-19, and e-commerce sales) increased 21.4% compared to a decrease of 4.8% in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2020, driven by a 10.4% increase in transactions and a 9.9% increase in average ticket. Compared to the fourth quarter of fiscal 2019, comparable sales increased 15.4%. *Gross profit increased to $1.0 billion compared to $771.0 million in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2020. As a percentage of net sales, gross profit increased to 37.6% compared to 35.1% in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2020, primarily due to leverage of fixed costs, favorable channel mix shifts, and improvement in merchandise margins. *Net income increased to $289.4 million compared to $171.5 million in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2020. Adjusted net income for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2020 was $193.4 million.

Fiscal 2021 Fourth Quarter Results Overview *Total net sales were $204.5 million, an increase of $26.6 million or 14.9%, compared to $177.9 million last year. Total comparable net sales, including both physical stores and e-commerce, increased by 12.5% compared to last year. *Net sales from physical stores were $152.2 million, an increase of $29.6 million or 24.2%, compared to $122.5 million last year. Comparable net sales from physical stores increased by 20.7%. Net sales from stores represented 74.4% of total net sales compared to 68.9% of total net sales last year. The Company ended fiscal 2021 with 241 total stores compared to 238 total stores at the end of fiscal 2020. *Net sales from e-commerce were $52.3 million, a decrease of $(3.1) million or (5.6)% compared to $55.4 million last year. E-commerce net sales represented 25.6% of total net sales compared to 31.1% of total net sales last year. Consumer behavior in 2021 favored stores over e-commerce relative to last year during which stores were more constricted in operating hours and customer occupancy limits than this year. *Gross profit was $70.4 million, an increase of $12.1 million or 20.8%, compared to $58.3 million last year. Gross margin, or gross profit as a percentage of net sales, was 34.4%, an improvement of 170 basis points compared to 32.7% last year. Total buying, distribution and occupancy costs improved by 190 basis points collectively, despite increasing by $1.9 million in total, due to leveraging these costs against higher net sales. Product margins decreased by 20 basis points as a percentage of net sales primarily due to an increase in sales return reserves and less favorable inventory shrink results than last year, the combination of which more than offset a lower markdown rate compared to last year. *Net income was $12.1 million, or $0.38 per diluted share, compared to $8.9 million, or $0.29 per diluted share, last year. Weighted average shares were 31.4 million this year compared to 30.1 million last year.

S&P Global Ratings has suspended commercial operations in Russia. The safety and well-being of our people come first, and we continue to support them. We will also maintain analytical coverage for existing ratings from outside Russia. We have in place a comprehensive business continuity plan to ensure our ongoing ability to deliver our data and opinions to market participants while maintaining our adherence to our legal and regulatory obligations. This report does not constitute a rating action.

Our hearts are with all those directly and indirectly impacted by the tragic events in Ukraine. With a reported 2 million people fleeing the violence and suffering in the region—most of whom are women and children with little more than the clothes on their backs—Gap Inc.’s brands will make a collective in-kind donation of more than $1 million worth of women and children's clothes to the UNHCR for communities in need. We are also encouraging employees to contribute company-matched donations to USA for UNHCR, CARE and the International Rescue Committee. As a values-led company, one that is proud to do the right thing over the past 53 years in business, at this time, we have also suspended deliveries to Russia, where we have a small franchise presence. We also have a handful of franchise locations in the Ukraine, which are currently closed, and we are working through our partner to account for the safety of those employees.

I'm excited to report the Senate passed the Postal Service Reform Act tonight, with a strong bipartisan vote of 79-19. The legislation marks the most significant overhaul to the USPS' operations since the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act (PAEA), signed in 2006. The Postal Service Reform Act now heads to the desk of President Biden, who has previously indicated he will sign it. On behalf of ACMA, I would like to thank our members and others for your continuous advocacy and engagement efforts both in the House and Senate. At this critical juncture in Washington, the legislation would not have passed but for engagement from the industry and stakeholders. We worked diligently with other industry groups to engage you and others in the mailing community and you stepped up. Here are some highlights of the bill: • ends the requirement (from PAEA) that the Postal Service prefund retiree health care expenses and requires postal retirees to enroll in Medicare; • retains six-day delivery for mail and packages; and • requires the Postal Service to develop a service performance dashboard

The U.S. Postal Service congratulated the leadership and members of the U.S. Senate for its bipartisan approval of the Postal Service Reform Act. The bill, which was approved by the House on Feb. 8, now goes to the White House to be signed into law by President Biden. “With the legislative financial reforms achieved today, combined with our own self-led operational reforms, we will be able to self-fund our operations and continue to deliver to 161 million addresses six days per-week for many decades to come,” said Postmaster General and CEO Louis DeJoy. “I thank the Senate and our Committee leadership that broke the 10-year logjam which has long constrained the finances of the Postal Service. The Postal Service serves every American every day and so it’s only right that our future is now collectively assured by members of all political parties.” As passed by the House and Senate, the key elements of the Postal Service Reform Act are that it eliminates the unfair, outdated, and burdensome retiree health benefit prefunding requirement, and it integrates our retiree health benefit program with Medicare in a manner that is fully consistent with private sector best practices. The bill also formalizes our obligation to deliver mail and packages six days per-week through an integrated delivery network, and includes accountability, transparency and reporting requirements.

The Postal Regulatory Commission is pleased to announce that it has been awarded funding and support through the Technology Modernization Fund (TMF) to invest in mission-critical information technology infrastructure optimization initiatives. The Commission will use the TMF award to adopt a cloud-based applications system and develop three critical platforms that are essential to its role as the regulator of the U.S Postal Service. Specifically, the Commission will invest in 1) a new user-friendly public-facing website, 2) a replacement of its legacy docketing system, and 3) the development and deployment of a comprehensive data management system. Complementing these initiatives, the Commission recently hired its first chief data officer to lead data governance and open data efforts. The TMF investment will accelerate the agency’s ability to deploy and scale these important projects to meet its mission of ensuring the transparency and accountability of the Postal Service to the American public.

The Great Lakes Graphics urges all industry members to read this message, act, and share with your industry network. These programs are critical to the future of the printing industry. The undergraduate Graphic Communications (GCOM) program at the University of Wisconsin-Stout prepares students for careers in the graphic communications industry. The hands-on major and minor cover the fundamentals of print production, including pre-press/premedia; color management; offset, digital, flexo and gravure print technologies; post-press/finishing processes; project management and estimating; marketing techniques; and business practices. UW-Stout campus leaders recently have announced the suspension of new admissions to the GCOM program for incoming freshmen effective Fall 2022. The GCOM program website now states the following: Admission to this program is suspended effective Fall 2022. A group of industry professionals, faculty and higher education consultants are working on revising the current curriculum to meet the printing industry needs. Courses for currently enrolled students who are pursuing a GCOM major or minor will continue to be offered.

THIRD QUARTER SUMMARY: GAAP Results: Revenue of $516 million (+7%), Operating Income of $46 million (+34%), and EPS of $0.63 (+62%) NINE MONTHS SUMMARY: GAAP Results: Revenue of $1,537 million (+9%), Operating Income of $161 million (+20%), EPS of $1.86 (-2%), Cash Provided by Operating Activities of $158 million (+2%)

Consistent with the rest of the shipping industry, USPS experienced delays in both ground and air transportation during the month of February due to inclement weather events including winter storms in the Midwest, South and Northeast regions. The Postal Service continues to implement mitigation plans to move mail and packages effectively across the nation. Additional second quarter service performance scores covering Jan.1 through Feb. 25 included: *First-Class Mail: 86.6 percent of First-Class Mail delivered on time against the USPS service standard, a decrease of 2.5 percentage points from the fiscal first quarter. *Marketing Mail: 91.4 percent of Marketing Mail delivered on time against the USPS service standard, a decrease of .8 percentage point from the fiscal first quarter. *Periodicals: 80.3 percent of Periodicals delivered on time against the USPS service standard, a decrease of .5 percentage point from the fiscal first quarter.

Kohl’s Corporation will host a virtual Investor Day during which it will provide an update on the Company’s strategy to drive growth and become the retailer of choice for the Active and Casual lifestyle. Kohl’s will also announce an updated long-term financial framework. “Kohl's is undergoing a significant transformation of our business model and brand to be the retailer of choice for the Active and Casual lifestyle. We have fundamentally restructured our business to drive sustainable and profitable growth, while providing a strong return to shareholders,” said Michelle Gass, Kohl’s chief executive officer. “We have laid the foundation for our winning strategy and have started to implement key initiatives that will scale and accelerate our growth in the years ahead. We delivered record EPS in 2021 and achieved our operating margin goal two years ahead of schedule, reflecting our progress to drive more profitable growth. The initiatives we are announcing today, including plans to drive the Sephora business to $2 billion, are further positioning us for long-term value creation.”

All timber originating from Russia and Belarus is ‘conflict timber’ and therefore cannot be used in PEFC-certified products, the Board of PEFC International clarified today. PEFC is extremely concerned about the Russian government's attack on Ukraine. The military invasion is in direct opposition to our core values. This aggression causes unspeakable and unacceptable pain and death to innocent people, including women and children. It also has an immediate and long-term destructive impact on the environment, on forests, and on the many people that depend on forests for their livelihoods. The clarification that timber from Russia and Belarus is conflict timber follows an extraordinary meeting by the PEFC International Board to discuss Mr Putin's military aggression against Ukraine and its implications for PEFC and PEFC-certified forest owners and companies.

Net sales for the quarter increased 16.1 percent, to $50.94 billion, from $43.89 billion last year. Net sales for the first 24 weeks increased 16.4 percent, to $100.35 billion, from $86.23 billion last year. Net income for the quarter was $1,299 million, $2.92 per diluted share. Last year’s second quarter net income was $951 million, $2.14 per diluted share, which included $246 million pretax, $0.41 per diluted share, in costs incurred primarily from COVID-19 premium wages. Net income for the first 24 weeks was $2.62 billion, or $5.90 per diluted share, compared to $2.12 billion, $4.76 per diluted share, last year. For the four-week reporting month of February, ended February 27, 2022, the Company reported net sales of $16.29 billion, an increase of 15.9 percent from $14.05 billion last year.

*Fourth quarter 2021 net sales of $4.5 billion increased 2% year-over-year and were down 3% compared to 2019; Comparable sales were up 3% year-over-year and increased 3% versus 2019 *Fiscal year 2021 net sales of $16.7 billion increased 21% year-over-year and were up 2% compared to fiscal year 2019; Comparable sales were up 6% year-over-year and increased 8% versus 2019 *Returned over $400 million to shareholders in fiscal 2021 through dividend program and share repurchase plan

Urban Outfitters, Inc. announced net income of $41 million and earnings per diluted share of $0.41 for the three months ended January 31, 2022. For the year ended January 31, 2022, net income was $311 million and earnings per diluted share were a record $3.13. Total Company net sales for the three months ended January 31, 2022, were a record $1.33 billion. Net sales increased 13.9% compared to the three months ended January 31, 2020. Comparable Retail segment net sales increased 14%, driven by strong double-digit growth in digital channel sales, partially offset by low double-digit negative retail store sales primarily due to reduced store traffic. By brand, comparable Retail segment net sales increased 49% at the Free People Group, 14% at the Anthropologie Group and 3% at Urban Outfitters. Total Retail segment net sales increased 15%. Wholesale segment net sales decreased 22% primarily from reducing the Free People Group’s sales to promotional wholesale customers. Nuuly segment net sales increased by $11.3 million driven by the continued expansion of the number of subscribers since its launch at the end of the second quarter of fiscal 2020. For the year ended January 31, 2022, total Company net sales increased 14.2% compared to the year ended January 31, 2020.

Nordstrom, Inc. reported fourth quarter results in line with the Company's fiscal year 2021 outlook, demonstrating progress against its long-term growth strategy. The Company reported net earnings of $200 million, or $1.23 per diluted share ("EPS"), and earnings before interest and taxes ("EBIT") of $299 million, or 6.8 percent of sales, for the fourth quarter. For the fiscal year ended January 29, 2022, net earnings were $178 million and diluted EPS was $1.10, with EBIT of $492 million, or 3.4 percent of sales. Net earnings for the fiscal year included an $88 million debt refinancing charge ($65 million after tax, or diluted EPS of $0.40) in the first quarter. For the fourth quarter ended January 29, 2022, net sales increased 23 percent versus the same period in fiscal 2020 and decreased 1 percent versus the same period in fiscal 2019. Gross merchandise value ("GMV") increased 24 percent versus the same period in fiscal 2020 and was flat versus the same period in fiscal 2019. Nordstrom banner net sales were flat and GMV increased 2 percent compared with the fourth quarter of 2019. Net sales for Nordstrom Rack decreased 5 percent versus the fourth quarter of fiscal 2019, a sequential improvement of 320 basis points over the third quarter.

•Fourth quarter and full year operating margin of 8.4% and 9.2% on a reported basis, respectively, and 8.6% and 9.6% on an adjusted non-GAAP basis, the highest in over a decade. •Fourth quarter and full year net income per diluted share of $1.12 and $4.20, respectively on a reported basis and $1.14 and $4.35, respectively on an adjusted non-GAAP basis. •Repurchased $142 million, or 4.1 million shares in the fourth quarter for a total of $377 million, or 10.2 million shares in Fiscal 2021; contributing to a 15% reduction in shares outstanding from Fiscal 2020.

*Fourth quarter diluted earnings per share of $2.20 exceeds expectations *Record full year 2021 adjusted diluted earnings per share of $7.33, eclipsing previous high of $5.60 in 2018 *Repurchased $548 million of shares in the quarter and $1.355 billion of shares in 2021 *Expects full year 2022 ne t sales to increase 2% to 3% as compared to 2021, operating margin to be in the range of 7.2% to 7.5% and earnings per share to be in the range of $7.00 to $7.50 *Increasing the quarterly dividend by 100%, which equates to an annual dividend of $2.00 per share, and planning to repurchase at least $1.0 billion in shares in 2022, of which $500 million is expected to be repurchased through open market transactions or an accelerated share repurchase (ASR) program executed in Q2 2022

YETI Holdings, Inc. announced that its Board of Directors has authorized the repurchase of up to $100 million (exclusive of fees and commissions) of YETI’s common stock. This share repurchase program is effective immediately and extends through February 27, 2023. Matt Reintjes, President and Chief Executive Officer, commented, “We remain confident in driving near and long-term demand for the YETI brand while also focused on efforts to drive shareholder value. Given recent market dynamics, we believe our shares are undervalued and this share buyback provides the ability to take advantage of the current valuation. At the same time, we have the financial flexibility to pursue both organic and inorganic growth opportunities.”

News Corp announced that it has completed the acquisition of the Oil Price Information Service (OPIS) and related assets, including the Coal, Mining and Metals business from S&P Global and IHS Markit. OPIS, a highly profitable and growing digital data, analytics and insights provider, will join Dow Jones’ professional information business, expanding Dow Jones’ presence in the energy, commodities and renewables markets. News Corp acquired OPIS for $1.150 billion in a cash transaction, subject to customary adjustments (and expects to receive an estimated tax benefit of $180 million as part of the transaction1). News Corp also has an agreement to acquire the Base Chemicals business from S&P Global and IHS Markit; that acquisition is expected to close in the coming months.

Additional second quarter service performance scores covering Jan.1 through Feb. 18 included: *First-Class Mail: 86 percent of First-Class Mail delivered on time against the USPS service standard, a decrease of 3.1 percentage points from the fiscal first quarter. *Marketing Mail: 91.2 percent of Marketing Mail delivered on time against the USPS service standard, a decrease of 1 percentage point from the fiscal first quarter. *Periodicals: 79.4 percent of Periodicals delivered on time against the USPS service standard, a decrease of 1.4 percentage point from the fiscal first quarter.

If the early days of 2022 have been any indication, paper shortages and rising distribution costs are challenges that the industry will likely face throughout year. The seeds of the current problems were sown in the years of the pandemic, when sales of print books unexpectedly rose, increasing demand while people were leaving manufacturing jobs in droves that led to labor shortages in the printing and papermaking businesses. Those were two of the main takeaways from last week’s webinar, “The Powerful Case for U.S. Book Manufacturing in the Face of Global Supply Chain Challenges, Paper Shortages, and Rising Distribution Costs,” moderated by Chris Lyons, president and publisher of Book Business, and featuring Jim Milliot, editorial director at Publishers Weekly; Bill Rojack, v-p of Midland Paper; and Matt Baehr, executive director at Book Manufacturers’ Institute. The program was sponsored by Canon Solutions America.

It seems businesses are finally bouncing back after the past two years of the pandemic. However, even though business is picking up, there is one glaring issue: The availability of paper stocks has become limited and unpredictable, and as a result the price of paper stock is inevitably increasing. Supply chain issues have been throwing curveballs at various manufacturing segments, and the printing industry is no exception. The availability of paper stocks has become slim as raw material costs rise, mills enact allocations and price increases, and labor shortages continue. So, are we doomed? Not even close. During an hour-long Printing Impressions and In-plant Impressions webinar, Marco Boer VP of I.T. Strategies and President of Midland Specialty Paper & Film Mike Ratcliff discussed the reasons for printing paper supply shortages, the steps printing companies can take to address the limitations head-on, and what print providers can expect in the future of the paper supply chain.

Statutory results • Sales increased 1% to £3,428m (2020: £3,397m), reflecting underlying performance, portfolio changes and currency movements. • Statutory operating profit was £183m (2020: £411m). The decrease in 2021 is mainly due to the gain on sale of PRH recognised in 2020 and restructuring costs in 2021 partially offset by improved trading profits, reduced intangible charges and gains on the 2021 business disposals. • Net cash generated from operations of £570m (2020: £450m). • Statutory earnings per share of 21.1p (2020: 41.0p).

The U.S. Postal Service announced it has completed its obligations under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process, which, in this instance, evaluated the potential environmental impacts of the Postal Service’s Next Generation Vehicle Delivery (NGDV) program, a fiscally and environmentally responsible plan to modernize the federal government’s largest and oldest vehicle fleet. The Postal Service communicated its completion of the NEPA process in a record of decision (ROD) filed with the Federal Register today. “As we have reiterated throughout this process, our commitment to an electric fleet remains ambitious given the pressing vehicle and safety needs of our aging fleet as well as our fragile financial condition. As our financial position improves with the ongoing implementation of our 10-year plan, Delivering for America, we will continue to pursue the acquisition of additional BEV as additional funding – from either internal or congressional sources - becomes available,” said Postmaster General and USPS Chief Executive Officer Louis DeJoy. “But the process needs to keep moving forward. The men and women of the U.S. Postal Service have waited long enough for safer, cleaner vehicles to fulfill on our universal service obligation to deliver to 161 million addresses in all climates and topographies six days per-week.”

Fourth Quarter 2021 Financial Highlights: • Total revenues of $826.5 million decreased 5.6% compared to the prior year quarter ◦ Same store revenues(1) decreased 4.3% compared to the fourth quarter of 2020 • Total digital revenues were $272.6 million or 33% of total revenues, up 5.0% over the same period in the prior year on a same store(1) basis • Net loss attributable to Gannett of $22.4 million and margin loss of 2.7% • Cash used for operating activities of $5.9 million and free cash flow(1) usage of $18.2 million

*Fourth Quarter Revenue of $2.0 Billion with GAAP EPS of $0.61; Adjusted EPS of $0.71 *Commitment to Low Cost Model Helped Drive GAAP Operating Income of $31 Million and Adjusted Operating Income of $47 Million in the Fourth Quarter of 2021 *GAAP Operating Income of $234 Million and Adjusted Operating Income of $305 Million for Full Year 2021 *Strategic Initiatives Successes Included Progress on Operational Separation of the Business, Sale of CompuCom, and Further Advancement of Varis Platform and Digital Business Commerce Capabilities *Over $300 Million Committed to Shareholders in 2021 Through Stock Repurchases

The U.S. consumer magazine industry shrunk by more than 30% in the past five years, due largely to print advertising declines, per PwC data. The rate of decline is expected to slow slightly in the next five years, thanks to new efforts from online media companies to acquire and digitize traditional print brands. Why it matters: "If you make the right acquisition in the right vertical ... it can give you real scale that is meaningful and major clout in that vertical very quickly," said Jason Webby, chief revenue officer at Future.

The U.S. Postal Service is launching a set of four new fast delivery solutions, including one specifically aimed at local businesses. Known as USPS Connect, the set of solutions offers several options designed to help meet growing consumer demand for affordable, fast local, regional, and national deliveries and returns. According to the U.S. Postal Service, the solutions leverage ongoing network improvements, new equipment, and new pricing.

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Company announced that it has entered into a definitive merger agreement with certain affiliates of Veritas Capital, a leading private investment firm, for the acquisition of the Company. Pursuant to the terms of the agreement, HMH shareholders will be entitled to receive $21 in cash per share through a tender offer. The per share purchase price represents a 36% premium to the Company’s unaffected share price as of January 13, 2022 and implies an equity value of approximately $2.8 billion. The decision to enter into an agreement with Veritas was the result of a deliberate and thorough strategic review process overseen by HMH’s Board of Directors. As part of that review, the Company held discussions with several potential strategic and financial bidders, including Veritas, through a formal process. Further details of the transaction and background of the sale process will be included in the Company’s Schedule 14D-9 with respect to the tender offer.

Fourth Quarter 2021 *Sales for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2021 were $35.7 billion, an increase of $3.5 billion, or 10.7 percent from the fourth quarter of fiscal 2020. Comparable sales for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2021 increased 8.1 percent, and comparable sales in the U.S. increased 7.6 percent. *Net earnings for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2021 were $3.4 billion, or $3.21 per diluted share, compared with net earnings of $2.9 billion, or $2.65 per diluted share, in the same period of fiscal 2020. For the fourth quarter of fiscal 2021, diluted earnings per share increased 21.1 percent from the same period in the prior year. Fiscal 2021 *Sales for fiscal 2021 were $151.2 billion, an increase of $19.0 billion, or 14.4 percent, from fiscal 2020. Comparable sales for fiscal 2021 increased 11.4 percent, and comparable sales in the U.S. increased 10.7 percent. *Net earnings for fiscal 2021 were $16.4 billion, or $15.53 per diluted share, compared with net earnings of $12.9 billion, or $11.94 per diluted share in fiscal 2020. For fiscal year 2021, diluted earnings per share increased 30.1 percent versus last year.

*Comparable sales up 28.3% on an owned basis and up 27.8% on an owned-plus-licensed basis versus Q4 2020; up 6.6% and up 6.1%, respectively, versus Q4 2019 *Digital sales up 12% over Q4 2020, up 36% over Q4 2019 *7.2 million new customers shopped the Macy's brand, an 11% increase over Q4 2019 *Generated $2.7 billion in Operating Cash Flow and $2.3 billion in Free Cash Flow in FY 2021 *New $2 billion share repurchase program authorized after completing current $500 million program and raised quarterly dividend by 5%

Elena Armas self-published The Spanish Love Deception in February 2021. TikTok embraced the fake dating, enemies-to-lovers romance—videos hashtagged #TheSpanishLoveDeception have been viewed 73 million times to date—and in September 2021, Atria signed Armas to a two-book deal. “The slow-burning romance heats up the pages as Armas’s witty, intelligent protagonists reveal their innermost secrets and overcome their past misunderstandings,” our review said. “Rom-com fans will be riveted.” The book debuts at #3 on our trade paperback list; rights have been sold in 23 countries, and the sequel, The American Roommate Experiment, follows in September. Pop culture critic Chuck Klosterman lands at #5 on our hardcover nonfiction list with The Nineties, a “nostalgic look at the waning days of offline culture,” our review said, that “both piques and entertains.” Klosterman characterizes the era as one of ambivalence, but the book’s opening-week sales have been decisively enthusiastic. Latin Grammy Award–winning singer Chiquis Rivera lands at #8 on our hardcover nonfiction list with the memoir Unstoppable. A Spanish edition, Invencible, debuts at #20 on our trade paperback list.

The United States Postal Service reported new delivery performance metrics showing the average time to deliver a mailpiece across the postal network was 2.7 days in the first five weeks of the fiscal year second quarter. Throughout January, winter storms across the nation created hazardous road conditions and impacted the air transportation network resulting in delays for middle mile mail and package transit. The Postal Service continues to implement mitigation plans to move mail and packages effectively across the nation. Additional second quarter service performance scores covering Jan.1 through Feb. 11 included: *First-Class Mail: 86.1 percent of First-Class Mail delivered on time against the USPS service standard, a decrease of 3 percentage points from the fiscal first quarter. *Marketing Mail: 90.9 percent of Marketing Mail delivered on time against the USPS service standard, a decrease of 1.3 percentage points from the fiscal first quarter. *Periodicals: 79.5 percent of Periodicals delivered on time against the USPS service standard, a decrease of 1.4 percentage points from the fiscal first quarter.

For the Twelve Months Ended January 1, 2022 (52 Weeks) Net sales increased 29% to $1,411.0 million, compared to $1,091.7 million in the prior year. *DTC channel net sales increased 35% to $784.7 million, compared to $580.9 million in the prior year period, driven by both Drinkware and Coolers & Equipment. The DTC channel grew to 56% of net sales, compared to 53% in the prior year. *Wholesale channel net sales increased 23% to $626.3 million, compared to $510.9 million in the same period last year, primarily driven by both Drinkware and Coolers & Equipment. *Drinkware net sales increased 32% to $832.4 million, compared to $628.6 million in the prior year period, due to the continued expansion of our Drinkware product offerings, including the introduction of new colorways and sizes, and strong demand for customization. *Coolers & Equipment net sales increased 24% to $551.9 million, compared to $446.6 million in the same period last year. The strong performance was driven by growth in bags, outdoor living products, soft coolers and hard coolers.

The Postal Regulatory Commission (Commission) welcomes Russell Rappel-Schmid as the agency’s first chief data officer to lead its open data and data governance efforts. Mr. Rappel-Schmid joined the agency effective February 14, 2022. Rappel-Schmid will oversee the Commission’s data management and compliance with the OPEN Government Data Act. Most recently, Rappel-Schmid served as the State of Alaska's first chief data officer. In that role, he worked with the State Office of Information Technology and other state departments on the data governance plan for their move to the cloud. He also launched Alaska’s first non-geospatial open data portal, and created data tools to help users better visualize and understand the state’s data. Rappel-Schmid previously served at the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General (USPS OIG). He was a member of the USPS OIG’s data analytics team where he worked to identify, access, and effectively use Postal Service data. Rappel-Schmid also worked as an audit manager, overseeing audits of Postal Service costs, pricing, and international mail. Rappel-Schmid started his career using data to drive internal audits while on active duty in the U.S. Marine Corps.

Kohl’s announced the list of the 400 stores that will be adding Sephora at Kohl’s shops this year. From Alaska to Maine, the 400 stores will span 36 states, eight of which are brand new homes to Sephora at Kohl’s. The addition of 400 stores brings the Sephora at Kohl’s location total to 600 and puts the partnership on track to meet its 850 store goal by 2023. “We’re thrilled to be bringing Sephora at Kohl’s closer to millions more of our customers nationwide through this 400 store expansion,” said Doug Howe, Kohl’s chief merchandising officer. “The quick and vast rollout of Sephora at Kohl’s is a testament to how much we believe in this partnership and making prestige beauty more accessible to people everywhere. We’re excited to grow and bring this elevated beauty experience to more of Kohl’s existing and new customers this year.”

Global research and education leader Wiley, together with the Big Ten Academic Alliance announced they have reached agreement for a one-year contract extension with an open access option, as a pilot in collective action toward the Big Collection. The Big Ten Academic Alliance is a premier higher education consortium in the U.S. that includes major research institutions in 11 U.S. states. The agreement enables researchers at 13 participating flagship universities and 17 affiliated campuses to publish accepted articles open access in all of Wiley's hybrid open access journals in 2022. The agreement also provides access to all of Wiley’s subscription content across the consortium. The agreement aims to advance the goals of the BTAA Big Collection to move toward a sustainable open scholarship ecosystem.

The European print trade body Intergraf, which the BPIF is a member of, has called for an end to the ongoing strikes at UPM in Finland, which began at the start of the year and are due to continue until at least 12 March following another recent extension. The UPM strikes have greatly aggravated the current lack of paper on European markets and are threatening the supply of printed products. Intergraf said printers’ stocks will not last until the strike has been settled and warned that they will not be able to fulfil orders. It has estimated that, based on member associations feedback, from mid-February, there will be a 40% shortage in the paper needed by European printers. Meanwhile Finat, the European association for the self-adhesive label and narrow web packaging industry, has warned that if strikes continue and label production is not put back on track, there could be serious ramifications for the supply of food, beverages, and pharmaceuticals.

Urban Outfitters, Inc. announced net sales for the three months and year ended January 31, 2022. Total Company net sales for the three months ended January 31, 2022, were a record $1.33 billion. Net sales increased 13.9% compared to the three months ended January 31, 2020. Comparable Retail segment net sales increased 14%, driven by strong double-digit growth in digital channel sales, partially offset by low double-digit negative retail store sales primarily due to reduced store traffic. By brand, comparable Retail segment net sales increased 49% at the Free People Group, 14% at the Anthropologie Group and 3% at Urban Outfitters. Total Retail segment net sales increased 15%. Wholesale segment net sales decreased 22% primarily from reducing the Free People Group’s sales to promotional wholesale customers. URBN believes that the total Company fourth quarter gross margin could deleverage more than planned primarily due to higher than anticipated inbound transportation costs. For the year ended January 31, 2022, total Company net sales increased 14.2% compared to the year ended January 31, 2020. Comparable Retail segment net sales increased 16%, driven by strong double-digit growth in digital channel sales, partially offset by low double-digit negative retail store sales due to reduced store traffic. Wholesale segment net sales decreased 23% primarily from reducing the Free People Group’s sales to promotional wholesale customers.

Additional second quarter service performance scores covering Jan.1 through Feb. 4 included: *First-Class Mail: 86.1 percent of First-Class Mail delivered on time against the USPS service standard, a decrease of 3 percentage points from the fiscal first quarter. *Marketing Mail: 90.9 percent of Marketing Mail delivered on time against the USPS service standard, a decrease of 1.3 percentage points from the fiscal first quarter. *Periodicals: 79.5 percent of Periodicals delivered on time against the USPS service standard, a decrease of 1.4 percentage points from the fiscal first quarter.

Kohl’s Corporation issued the following statement regarding Macellum Advisors GP, LLC’s announcement of its nomination of directors for election to the Kohl’s Board of Directors at the Company’s 2022 Annual Meeting of Shareholders: Kohl’s believes Macellum’s effort to take control of the Board is unjustified and counterproductive. Kohl’s appointed two of Macellum’s designees, along with an additional mutually agreed upon designee, to its Board pursuant to the 2021 settlement agreement with Macellum and certain other shareholders. All members of the Kohl’s Board, other than its CEO, are independent. Macellum’s claim that Kohl’s Board is not equipped to evaluate sale opportunities is groundless. The Board designated its Finance Committee, which is comprised entirely of independent directors, was formed pursuant to the settlement with Macellum and includes one of Macellum’s 2021 designees, to lead the review of any expressions of interest. Additionally, the Company and the Board have engaged financial advisors, including Goldman Sachs and PJT Partners, and have asked Goldman Sachs to engage with interested parties. Furthermore, Macellum’s claim to be “disappointed and shocked” by Kohl’s rejection of the previously disclosed expressions of interest is disingenuous. Macellum has on multiple occasions stated publicly that Kohl’s is worth “at least $100 per share.”

Bertelsmann Investments (BI) is acquiring a stake in Ada Health, a leading European start-up in the digital health sector, thus strengthening its commitment to the promising business field of digital health. In 2016, an entrepreneur, a neuroscientist and a doctor founded the start-up Ada Health in Berlin-Kreuzberg with the aim of harnessing artificial intelligence for the early diagnosis of diseases by patients themselves. As a pioneer in the field of digital health, Ada Health developed a medical platform and an app, which is now available in seven languages, that helps people quickly and easily make an initial medical diagnosis based on their symptoms - and has already done so millions of times. Together with other investors, Bertelsmann Investments (BI) is now taking a stake in the successful company. In an extension of the financing round B, which had already brought Ada Health 90 million US dollars in May 2021, BI and the investors Farallon Capital, Red River West are together providing a further 30 million US dollars for the expansion of the business. Ada Health is thus one of the first investments by Bertelsmann Investments in the digital health sector.

Import growth is expected to moderate during the first half of 2022 giving the nation’s congested container ports a much-needed break. Imports at the nation’s ports are expected to grow modestly during the first half of 2022, according to the monthly Global Port Tracker report released by the National Retail Federation and Hacker Associates. But continued high volumes will keep up the pressure that built as the economy bounced back from the pandemic last year. “We’re not going to see the dramatic growth in imports we saw this time last year, but the fact that volumes aren’t falling is a clear sign of continued consumer demand,” said Jonathan Gold, NRF VP for supply chain and customs policy. Congestion remains on both coasts. The Port of Los Angeles alone has around 40 ships waiting to dock, according to Ben Hackette, founder, Hackett Associates.

Dotdash Meredith is eliminating the print editions of six of the former Meredith Corp.’s most iconic magazines, including InStyle, Entertainment Weekly, Eating Well and People en Espanol, according to a report yesterday first published by the Wall Street Journal. The Journal said it obtained an internal memo from Dotdash CEO Neil Vogel in which Vogel told employees that the move would eliminate about 200 jobs, which represent less than 5% of Dotdash Meredith’s total staff. The other magazines being shut down are Health and Parents. “We have said from the beginning, buying Meredith was about buying brands, not magazines or websites,” Vogel said in the memo. “It is not news to anyone that there has been a pronounced shift in readership and advertising from print to digital, and as a result, for a few important brands, print is no longer serving the brand’s core purpose.”