The American Catalog Mailers Association (ACMA), a trade group whose members rely heavily on a healthy national postal service, applauds President Trump’s recent formation of a task force to craft recommendations to reform the US Postal Service and return it to a durable business model. Meaningful change will require Congress to pass postal reform legislation. History has shown that reform initiatives are always difficult to get enacted into law and are virtually impossible without broad support from the key stakeholder groups (postal customers, postal management and postal labor groups). Any meaningful recommendations need the support from as many of these stakeholders are possible. The ACMA hopes the Task Force work will include hearing all of these perspectives and needs. Click Read More below for additional information.

Three magazines were earned Pulitzer Prize winners Monday afternoon as part of the 102nd class of honorees, the fourth since the nation’s top journalism honors were first expanded to include glossies in addition to newspapers. The New Yorker‘s Ronan Farrow—whose reporting on Harvey Weinstein’s history of sexual assault and cover-ups were integral to the subsequent national discourse around the #MeToo movement—shared honors in the Public Service category with New York Times reporters Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey. Last month, Farrow’s work similarly earned The New Yorker a National Magazine Award for Public Interest. Elsewhere in the 2018 class, GQ can now call itself a Pulitzer Prize winner. Click Read More below for additional information.

The USA TODAY NETWORK is celebrating three 2018 Pulitzer Prizes in the categories of explanatory journalism, local reporting and editorial writing. The Arizona Republic | USA TODAY NETWORK won for explanatory reporting for its project “The Wall: Unknown Stories, Unintended Consequences,” The Cincinnati Enquirer staff won for local reporting with “Seven Days of Heroin,” and The Des Moines Register’s Andie Dominick won for editorial writing. Click Read More below for additional information.

U.S. nonstore sales grew at a slightly slower clip in March than they did in February, new monthly data from the U.S. Commerce Department shows. What the agency calls “nonstore sales” reached $55.475 billion in March on a seasonally adjusted basis, a 9.7% increase compared with $50.573 billion in the same month of 2017. That’s a slightly lower increase than in February, when nonstores sale grew 10.2%. Click Read More below for additional information.

Meredith Corporation and Magenta launch Fortune Italy. The magazine will be distributed in Italy, Switzerland and Montecarlo, and will cover a range of topics from the economy and politics, to technology, startups and innovation. Through a license agreement with Meredith Corporation and Magenta, Fortune Italy will be published monthly in Italian. Fortune Italy will include features from the U.S edition of the magazine, as well as original content from its staff in Italy. Fortune Italy Senior Editor Fabio Insenga will lead the editorial staff and coordinate a team of internal editors and 25 contributors and correspondents. The magazine's first print edition will be available on newsstands June 2, 2018. Click Read More below for additional information.

Pub chain JD Wetherspoon has decided to quit it’s micro-blogging site, alongside Instagram, Facebook and Twitter with immediate effect. The company closed down its Twitter and Facebook accounts, which had 44,000 and 100,000 followers, respectively, as well as its Instagram feed, for all of its 900 pubs and head office. It added that recent concerns regarding the misuse of personal data, following the Facebook scandal, and the addictive nature of social media had influenced its decision. Tim Martin, Chairman of the pub chain told the BBC he believes that this action will not affect the business. In fact, after much consultation, more than 90% of the pub managers felt that using social media was not helping the business and the idea of social media as an essential tool to advertising was simply untrue. Click Read More below for additional information.

In the continuing escalation in his attack on Amazon, President Donald Trump issued an executive order yesterday for the establishment of a federal task force, led by Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin or his designee, to investigate the finances of the U.S. Postal Service (USPS), which has lost more than $65 billion during the past 11 consecutive fiscal years. The special commission is expected to submit a report on its findings and recommendations within 120 days. Some pundits argue that President Trump's tweets against the online retail juggernaut are politically driven, given that Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos also owns the Washington Post, which has been highly critical of Trump and his policies. Trump's ongoing public statements and tweets against Amazon, and how the online retailer is destroying the traditional brick-and-mortar retail industry, have negatively impacted Amazon's stock price. The main drag on USPS finances, in reality, has been the mandate that it pre-fund its retiree health care obligations to the tune of more than $38 billion. For the first time, last year the Postal Service missed payments it owes to the federal retirement system, for a combined total of $6.9 billion. Click Read More below for additional information.

John Wiley and Sons Inc. is pleased to announce a partnership with the March for Science, a global nonpartisan movement that highlights the critical role science plays in improving our lives, understanding our world, and informing policymaking in communities across the world. On April 14, 2018, more than 220 cities around the world will host marches where scientists and supporters of science can come together. At the rally in Washington, D.C., Wiley is sponsoring a tent on behalf of the National Council for Science and the Environment. Longer-term, Wiley will support Vote for Science, a new program that seeks to secure the long-term funding of science policy, by providing access to scholarly and scientific content. Wiley is proud to support these two organizations and the work they do to improve the impact of research in communities around the world. Click Read More below for additional information.

On April 5, a nine-person jury found an importer and reseller of counterfeit textbooks guilty of copyright and trademark infringement, and in breach of a previous cease and desist order. The lawsuit was filed by the Educational Publishers Enforcement Group against Book Dog Books and Robert William Management and their owner, Philip Smyres. In its decision, the jury awarded EPEG, which is comprised of Cengage, Pearson Education, John Wiley, and McGraw-Hill Education, a total of $34.2 million in damages, with $20 million for trademark infringement and $14.2 million for copyright infringement. Click Read More below for additional information.

Sears Holdings is set to shutter its last remaining store in Chicago. The news was first reported by The Chicago Tribune, which said the store, located on the edge of the Portage Park neighborhood, will close in mid-July, with a liquidation sale scheduled to start April 2. Sears was based in Chicago for more than 100 years. The store, which opened in 1938, was one of 265 properties sold to Seritage Growth Properties in a 2015 sale-leaseback deal, the report said. Click Read More below for additional information.

Despite a drop in sales in 2017 and store closings, the mood was mostly upbeat at the 2018 Diamond Retailer summit, held April 6-8 in conjunction with the C2E2 pop culture convention in Chicago. Many retailers indicated to PW that they are beginning to see a slight upturn in sales in recent months. But this comes after a year in which sales were down in every category. According to figures released by Diamond Comics Distributors—which distributes comics and graphic novels to a network of about 2,000 specialty comics shops around the country—periodical comics sales were down 10% in 2017 compared to 2016, graphic novels declined 9% and the number of direct market stores served by Diamond slipped about 1%. Click Read More below for additional information.

L Brands, Inc. reported net sales increased 7 percent to $1.020 billion for the five weeks ended April 7, 2018, compared to net sales of $951.4 million for the five weeks ended April 1, 2017. Comparable sales for the five weeks ended April 7, 2018, increased 4 percent compared to the five-week period ended April 8, 2017. The company reported net sales of $1.874 billion for the nine weeks ended April 7, 2018, an increase of 9 percent compared to sales of $1.717 billion for the nine weeks ended April 1, 2017. Comparable sales for the nine weeks ended April 7, 2018, increased 3 percent compared to the nine-week period ended April 8, 2017.

Costco Wholesale Corporation reported net sales of $12.92 billion for the month of March, the five weeks ended April 8, 2018, an increase of 10.9 percent from $11.65 billion last year. For the thirty-one weeks ended April 8, 2018, the Company reported net sales of $81.43 billion, an increase of 11.8 percent from $72.82 billion last year. This year’s five-week March retail-month had one fewer shopping day versus last year, due to the calendar shift of Easter. This negatively impacted total and comparable March sales by approximately one to one and one-half percent. Click Read More below for additional information.

Revenues from continuing operations for the quarter were $5.4 billion compared to revenues from continuing operations of $5.9 billion in the prior year's fourth quarter, a decrease of $509.1 million or 8.6 percent. Same store sales from Retail Pharmacy continuing operations for the quarter decreased 1.7 percent over the prior year, consisting of a 2.3 percent decrease in pharmacy sales and a 0.6 percent decrease in front-end sales. Net loss from continuing operations was $483.7 million or $0.46 per diluted share compared to last year's fourth quarter net loss from continuing operations of $25.1 million or $0.02 per diluted share. The decline in operating results was due primarily to $325 million of income tax expense relating to the revaluation of the company's deferred tax assets as a result of the 2017 Tax Act and a charge of $191 million, net of tax, for the impairment of goodwill related to our Pharmacy Services Segment. Click Read More below for additional information.

Incorporating both new editorial content and an elevated look and feel, the new SHAPE provides the service that today's woman desires: beauty and style advice that adapts to her busy life; ways to discover the joys of healthy and delicious eating; relatable tips for health and relationships; and innovative ways to keep her body strong and fit. The May 2018 issue, featuring actress Kate Mara on the cover, hits newsstands April 17. SHAPE Editor in Chief Elizabeth Goodman Artis led the reimagination of this iconic brand. "Today women want what we call the well-lived life, a more holistic approach to health and happiness," Goodman Artis said. "They know that nurturing one part of life feeds and refreshes another. We want SHAPE to reflect this philosophy." Click Read More below for additional information.

HP Inc. at the London Book Fair introduced HP Piazza, a pioneering set of independent and interlocking cloud-based services that enable publishers to make book manufacturing and distribution more time- and cost-efficient. Now, publishers can build a virtual warehouse for the management, automation, distribution, print, and direct fulfillment of book orders, while holding zero inventory. “Pearson is undergoing a digital transformation to become a simpler, more efficient business and our UK book supply chain is a key part of this,” said Stephen Jones, Pearson Director of Global Direct Procurement. “We are moving from a ‘print to warehouse’ to a ‘print to order, direct to consumer’ model. Partnering with our print providers, HP Piazza will support us in managing our print workflow and optimizing our book supply chain to help reduce costs and better serve our customers.” Click Read More below for additional information.

The Bon-Ton Stores, Inc. announced that it has received a signed letter of intent from an investor group composed of DW Partners, Namdar Realty Group and Washington Prime Group, pursuant to which the investor group proposes to acquire the Company as a going concern in a Bankruptcy Court-supervised sale process. The Company and the investor group are in the process of finalizing an asset purchase agreement in advance of an auction, which is now scheduled to be held on April 16, 2018. Bon-Ton is continuing to operate in the ordinary course as the Company completes its court-supervised restructuring process. Bon-Ton was required to provide notification under certain state and federal laws of potential job losses even as it works to complete a sale of the Company as a going concern, and is hopeful the sale process will preserve jobs. The Company's stores remain open and are continuing to serve customers. Click Read More below for additional information.

The Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) issued its Annual Compliance Determination (ACD), a mandated assessment of the U.S. Postal Service’s compliance with pricing and service performance requirements in fiscal year 2017 (FY 2017). While the Commission acknowledges some areas of improvement, it identifies several compliance issues related to workshare discounts, noncompensatory Market Dominant products, Competitive products, service performance, and continued cost and service problems with flat-shaped mail (flats). Workshare Discounts: The Commission identified 42 workshare discounts with compliance issues. Out of the 42, 20 of the discounts did not comply with section 3622(e). No action by the Commission was required for 7 of the 20 workshare discounts because price changes aligned the discounts with avoided costs or the Postal Service eliminated the discount. Thirteen workshare discounts remained out of compliance prompting the Commission to direct the Postal Service to either align workshare discounts with avoided costs in the next Market Dominant price adjustment or specify an applicable statutory exception. Click Read More below for additional information.

Penguin Random House has named Madeline McIntosh, previously president of the Penguin Publishing Group, CEO of Penguin Random House US. The position is a newly created one. Additionally, Allison Dobson, formerly senior v-p of strategy and finance at Penguin Publishing Group, has been promoted to president of Penguin Publishing Group, succeeding McIntosh. Dohle, who will remain based in New York City, said the creation of McIntosh’s position speaks to “the size and importance of the U.S. business for Penguin Random House worldwide." He added: "Now is the right time for dedicated leadership in our U.S. market." Under the newly announced PRH structure, McIntosh, who will report to Dohle, will be responsible for all PRH US adult and children’s publishing groups (among them Crown, Knopf, Penguin, Penguin Young Readers, Random House, and RH Childrens). The publisher's operations, sales, author platforms, digital publishing development, and audio publishing departments will now report to McIntosh. Click Read More below for additional information.

American Catalog Mailers Association (ACMA) contends in an amicus brief filed with the Supreme Court of the U.S. today that a South Dakota law enacted two years ago is unconstitutional. Filing as a friend of the defendants in the case of South Dakota v. Wayfair, Overstock.com, and Newegg, the ACMA urged that the Quill v. North Dakota precedent be upheld. The case before the Supreme Court poses the question, “Should this Court abrogate Quill's sales-tax-only, physical-presence requirement?” The 1992 Quill decision affirmed the physical presence rule. The Supreme Court ruling upheld its 1967 ruling in National Bellas Hess v. Department of Revenue of Illinois. In 2016, South Dakota enacted its law that defies the Quill physical presence standard. “The authority of the states and their many localities to tax interstate commerce is unquestioned,” the ACMA brief says. “But the Commerce Clause prohibits actions that create excessive burdens impeding interstate commerce.” The brief goes on to say, “Overruling Quill would not only discourage efforts at uniformity, but it would also expose catalog retailers to significant past lability for transactions that already have occurred.” Click Read More below for additional information.

Bob Hoffman is a man worth listening to. Especially when he’s talking about advertising. Bob is an adland icon. The founder of the Hoffman/Lewis agency in California, he has created campaigns for McDonald’s, Shell, PepsiCo, Bank of America, you name it... The century-old Greater San Francisco Ad Club made him their “Ad Person of the Year” in 2012. And now Bob Hoffman is the man exposing the vast fraud of digital advertising. He has spoken out about a world where a single “bot” computer programme can generate a billion fraudulent ad impressions a day, without that ad ever having been viewed by human eyeballs. This great swindle is on track to become the second largest source of criminal activity in the world by 2025, second only to drug trafficking, Hoffman suggested recently. Click Read More below for additional information.

For the fifth consecutive year, Midland Paper will be a co-sponsor for Inkjet Summit 2018 to be held April 9-12 in Ponte Vedra, FL. The Inkjet Summit is an invitation-only, hosted event designed for senior managers and business executives who want to understand how inkjet technology trends, software, consumables and finishing solutions will impact their businesses and help them shape their strategies for the future. During the event, David Field, Midland Paper’s Senior Business Manager Inkjet Technologies, will present a ‘Case Study’ illustrating effective print media options across various production inkjet platforms. “The production inkjet equipment market continues to expand with OEM press announcements unveiled at a rapid rate, including a whole new wave of sheet fed inkjet options. In addition, new OEM inks are being developed for web and sheet fed configurations which can add to the complexity for printers who are aiming to make an inkjet equipment investment,” said Field. Click Read More below for additional information.

Amazon Web Services, Inc. (AWS), announced that Shutterfly, Inc. is moving its infrastructure to AWS—going all-in on the world’s leading cloud to power its Cloud Transformation initiative. Shutterfly chose AWS for its reliability, scale, and breadth of services that are already helping the company be more agile and flexible in meeting the needs of millions of consumers. Shutterfly is migrating all of its core production applications and its more than 75-petabyte image library to AWS, and is continually building new cloud-based applications. Shutterfly’s next-generation platform is also being developed on AWS, where it can leverage a wide range of AWS services, including machine learning and analytics, to deliver a more streamlined customer experience. “We evaluated all the major cloud providers, and chose AWS for its unmatched security, reliability, and breadth of services which allowed us to quickly migrate key assets, build cloud-based applications, and run our core services with ease,” said Satish Menon, Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer at Shutterfly, Inc. “We are especially excited about using AWS’s machine learning services. For example, we are currently experimenting with Amazon Rekognition for image classifications and metadata enrichment and Amazon Cognito for identity services. The cost savings we expect to see by running on AWS will enable us to put more resources towards innovation and developing our next-generation platform.” Click Read More below for additional information.

Publishers saw decreased revenue (-5.4%) in November 2017 vs. November 2016, but year-to-date revenue remains up (+1.1%) compared to Jan. - Nov. 2016 in all tracked categories. Tracked categories include: Trade - fiction/non-fiction/religious, PreK-12 Instructional Materials, Higher Education Course Materials, Professional Publishing, and University Presses. The year-to-date growth is primarily attributed to gains in the two largest categories: Adult Books, up $129.7 million (+2.9%) and Higher Education Course Materials, up $114.3 million (+3.8%). Publisher revenue for trade books was down for November by -4.0%, with declines in Adult, Childrens/YA and Religious Presses. Year-to-date, trade revenue is up by +1.0%, or $66.7 million. Click Read More below for additional information.

Midland Paper, Packaging & Supplies, one of North America's largest independent distributors of media for business communications, wrapped up a very successful Dscoop 2018 in Dallas Texas last week. Midland Paper unveiled three unique specialty products that created new and exciting print opportunities for the Dscoop participants: •Diamond Print Glitter - Eye catching, non-flaking, glitter paper that folds without cracking with unlimited print applications •Blanks Plastic Paper - Unique waterproof poly film used for menus, tags, cards, POP, signage and other graphic applications •Setalux HP - Printable book, magazine, catalog cover material as well as luxury packaging. “All three new products created a lot of “buzz” on the showcase floor. We couldn’t keep up with the requests for samples on the Diamond Print Glitter, while the Plastic Paper and Setalux HP were extremely popular." Click Read More below for additional information.

A petition with nearly 15,000 supporters is urging Walmart to bring Cosmopolitan magazine back to its checkout aisles, after a conservative group won its fight last month to get the publication away from those lanes in its 5,000 stores nationwide. “Cosmopoliton [sic] is a magazine for women — primarily staffed by women,” petition author Rebecca Gerber wrote. “The articles include empowering advice on money, careers, relationships, politics, fashion, activism — and yes, sex. Consensual sex. These are not subjects that women should made to feel ashamed to read,” she continued. “By publicly pulling Cosmo from checkout aisles, Walmart is telling women and girls that their sexuality is something to be embarassed of, that their interest in their own sexual education is obscene — and that their bodies and choice of clothing could be the cause of any harassment they receive.” NCOSE had previously stated that Walmart’s removal of Cosmo from checkout lines “is an incremental but significant step toward creating a culture where women and girls are valued as whole persons, rather than as sexual objects.” Click Read More below for additional information.

American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) President and CEO Donna Harman issued the following statement regarding the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) denying paper-based information and services. “The number of people who experienced identity theft while filing their taxes in 2016 is approximately the population of Anaheim, California or Tampa, Florida.[1] With news of data hacks and security breaches breaking regularly, government officials have increasingly turned to paper-based documents for added protection. “Citizens will be complying with new tax rules this year. Unfortunately, the IRS no longer makes printed instructions available unless ordered for payment. Readily available, printed instructions will be needed more than ever before as people prepare their tax returns given these changes. Click Read More below for additional information.

Shutterfly announced it has closed its previously announced acquisition of Lifetouch, the national leader in school photography. The company financed the acquisition with the proceeds of an $825 million incremental term loan facility, which closed simultaneous with the acquisition. “We are thrilled to welcome Lifetouch to the Shutterfly family, and are excited to bring together two undisputed leaders in adjacent verticals, both of which have the common mission of helping customers share life’s joy through photos,” said Christopher North, President & Chief Executive Officer of Shutterfly. “We are focused on realizing the three value creation opportunities that we previously articulated: gaining access to many Lifetouch customers as Shutterfly customers, offering Shutterfly’s broader product range to Lifetouch customers and accelerating the development of Lifetouch’s online platform, and realizing significant supply chain, manufacturing, and fulfillment synergies over time.” Click Read More below for additional information.

Torstar Corporation announced it is launching a major national expansion with a reinvention of its Metro urban commuter newspapers and more robust digital offerings in Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Toronto, Halifax and nationally. The move represents a major investment in journalism, with Torstar hiring 20 new reporters to join existing Metro newsrooms in western Canada. Effective Tuesday, April 10, the Metro free daily newspapers will be rebranded as StarMetro Vancouver, StarMetro Calgary, StarMetro Edmonton, StarMetro Toronto and StarMetro Halifax. At the same time Torstar is significantly expanding its digital offerings in the five cities, backed by the award-winning journalism of the Toronto Star and thestar.com. Readers in each city will be directed to a city-specific version of thestar.com that will feature news of their city and region along with the investigations, columns, national and international news for which thestar.com is known. Consumers outside the target markets will see a national edition of thestar.com. Click Read More below for additional information.

"MXM has been an important contributor to Meredith's business over the years, and we are very proud of the groundbreaking work our employees have accomplished," said Tom Harty, President and CEO of Meredith Corporation. "However, given our recent acquisition of Time Inc. and our enhanced commitment to delivering consumer content across multiple media platforms, we believe MXM will be better positioned for growth with Accenture Interactive. They are excited about the business and the talented employees who will now become part of the Accenture team." Financial terms of the transaction are not being disclosed. Meredith said the transaction will not have a material effect on its fiscal 2018 financial results. The acquisition is expected to close within 60 days, subject to customary closing conditions. Click Read More below for additional information.

There has been little growth in total publishing sales in recent years in the U.S. and in most Western nations, and that difficult operating environment was reflected in the financial performance of three of the world’s largest publishers that have substantial holdings in the U.S. Penguin Random House and HarperCollins had small (less than 1%) declines in revenue in 2017 compared to 2016, while Lagardère Publishing’s sales inched up 1.1%. Simon & Schuster and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt’s trade division—the two smallest of the large publishers who report financial results—both did substantially better on both the top and bottom lines than their bigger rivals. Click Read More below for additional information.

A discount giant is closing the book on a women’s magazine — at least, across its checkout displays. Walmart is removing Cosmopolitan magazine from its checkout lines across more than 5,000 stores. The retailer’s decision is in response to a campaign against sexual violence spearheaded by the National Center on Sexual Exploitation. While the women’s magazine will no longer be available in checkout lanes, Walmart will continue selling the publication in its magazine section.

Forty-five-year-old Boulder Book Store in Boulder, Colo., was named the 2018 PW Bookstore of the Year by a panel of industry judges. The bookstore has been a pioneer in a number of industry initiatives. It was, for example, the first store to buy on Edelweiss and one of the pioneers in setting up consignment sections dedicated to specific publishers. Bookstore owner David Bolduc, who founded the bookstore in 1973, was also the co-founder of the country's first local first organization, the Boulder Independent Business Alliance. He co-founded the Boulder County Farmers' Market as well. "David has been a leader in many facets of our community," said Sean Maher, CEO of the Downtown Boulder Partnership, adding that the bookstore is "an absolute landmark. And we are thrilled that they are part of our community."

There are countless free newsletters in B2B publishing, as well there should be. Newsletters do great things. They are the number one traffic builder for most niche verticals, since social media and search only go so far in bringing hydrocarbon experts or facility managers to your site repeatedly. Sending daily - or at least weekly - newsletters keep people clicking through to your website, where hopefully you have effective contextual content and offers to get them to stick around. Each one also provides desirable advertising sales opportunities. You can’t have enough sub-niche newsletters in my book. This also keeps your brand vital in your market. If you send less frequently than weekly, your content remains an afterthought.

It has been a little over a year since Amazon began allowing third-party sellers to “win” the buy buttons on its book pages. Previously, orders placed using the main buy button on a book page were sourced directly from Amazon’s stock, thereby guaranteeing that publishers and authors would be paid for the purchases. But with the change, Amazon allowed orders placed using some buy buttons to be sourced from third parties, cutting authors and publishers out of those transactions. (Among the factors Amazon uses to determine who wins the buy button are price, availability, and delivery time.)

IWCO Direct, a leading provider of data-driven direct marketing solutions, today named Tedd Aurelius as vice president of sales. Aurelius will partner with current vice presidents of sales, Tom Hexamer and Jim Leone, to help lead IWCO Direct in creating new and expanded client engagements, and delivering on the company’s commitment to providing the highest level of service and results.

HarperCollins Publishers today announced that Judith Curr, formerly President and Publisher of Atria Publishing Group, will join the organization on April 2 as President and Publisher, HarperOne, Amistad, and Rayo. She will be based in New York, reporting to Brian Murray, President, and CEO, HarperCollins Publishers, and sit on the global executive committee.

To celebrate pre-K-12 public, private and homeschool educators and administrators, Barnes & Noble, Inc. (NYSE: BKS), the world’s largest retail bookseller, today announced the return of Educator Appreciation Days for every Saturday and Sunday in April. Starting Sunday, April 1, local stores will feature special discounts* for teachers and administrators such as 25% off most merchandise like books, toys and games. The offers will also be valid online at www.BN.com for purchases made on Saturday, April 28, and Sunday, April 29.

Cycle World magazine, the preeminent motorcycle journal, is proud to unveil a print redesign: a lush, high-quality quarterly focusing intently on the art of the motorcycle and the stories of people who create them, Cycle World’s Editor-in-Chief Mark Hoyer announced today. Design Director Ralph Hermens and Art Director Justin Page led the redesign effort. The larger-format, perfect-bound quarterly will continue to deliver the epic storytelling Cycle World is known for. The new Cycle World will celebrate the beauty and style of exceptional machines; captivating readers with compelling writing and stunning photography that they will want to display in their homes and return to again and again.

If you’re a fan of magazine-inserted scent strips, then we’ve got something that’s gonna blow your mind. If you’re one of those people that has to tear them out of magazines immediately due to impending nausea, read on if you’re a fan of kitschy promotions. If you’re neutral, well, everyone’s gotta take a stand on something someday, and magazine inserts are a relatively harmless place to start. With that longwinded intro out of the way, let’s take a deep dive into Old Spice’s latest high jinx.

Independent booksellers are expressing frustration and disappointment with Chronicle Books for its handling of comedian John Oliver’s Last Week Tonight with John Oliver Presents a Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo. Oliver announced the immediate availability of the book at the end of his Sunday, March 18 show, but to the surprise of independent booksellers, Oliver said that the book was only available at that time through Amazon. The illustrated children’s book about a gay bunny parodies the newly released Marlon Bundo’s Day in the Life of the Vice President by Vice President Mike Pence’s wife Karen and daughter Charlotte, which is told through the eyes of the family’s pet rabbit.

It really is “a beautiful day in the neighborhood” now that the U.S. Postal Service has immortalized Mister Rogers on a Forever stamp. Please share the news using the hashtag #MisterRogersStamp. Postmaster General Megan J. Brennan dedicated the stamp honoring Fred Rogers at the studio named in his honor where it all began 50 years ago — WQED’s Fred Rogers Studio in Pittsburgh. “Mister Rogers and his Neighborhood of Make-Believe made the ups and downs of life easier to understand for the youngest members of our society,” said Brennan. “In Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, children learned, in a safe space, how to be a friend and create relationships. He shaped generations with his kindness and compassion. It’s why we honor him today.”

"The Postal Reform Act of 2018: Improving Postal Operations, Service, and Transparency" was introduced in the U.S. Senate yesterday as a bipartisan bill co-sponsored by Senators Tom Carper (D-Del.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.) and Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.). If passed, the legislation would make sweeping changes to current rules and regulations that have led, in large part, to the dire long-term financial situation of the U.S. Postal Service, including 11 straight years of net losses and a net loss for its first quarter totaling $540 million - despite the USPS setting a record on Dec. 18, 2017, when more than 37 million packages were delivered, the most packages delivered in a single day in its more than 200-year history.

DC Entertainment, the publisher of Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman, announced it has signed an exclusive five-project deal (including at least two original book projects) with Frank Miller, acclaimed creator of the bestselling Batman graphic novel, The Dark Knight Returns. The deal will be announced during the DC Publishers panel, which will be live-streamed from the WonderCon convention in Anaheim, Calif., on Saturday. As part of the new deal, Miller will write Superman Year One, a new standalone graphic novel with art by John Romita Jr., in a story that DC says will redefine the Man of Steel for today’s fans. Also part of the new deal: Miller will write his first YA graphic novel, an untitled work with art by Ben Caldwell, that will star Carrie Kelley, a young girl first introduced in The Dark Knight Returns, who succeeds Robin as Batman’s partner.

Future plc, the global platform for specialist media, today announces the proposed acquisition of five specialist consumer titles from Haymarket Media Group for up to £14m. The five titles are, What Hi-Fi?, FourFourTwo, Stuff, Practical Caravan and Practical Motorhome. The intended acquisition of popular brand What Hi-Fi? provides an entry into the complementary audio visual market, whilst Stuff complements Future’s existing technology brands. The acquisition of Stuff is conditional on Competition and Markets Authority approval. These brands will present Future with the opportunity to continue its strategy of organic growth in line with its content monetization strategy.

Revenue at Scholastic rose 3% in the third quarter ended February 28, over the comparable period a year ago, from $336.2 million to $344.7 million. However, investments to improve the company’s profitability and one-time charges led to a net loss of $49.2 million in the most recent quarter, up from $15.4 million a year ago. Despite the higher loss, Scholastic chairman Dick Robinson said the company’s results were in line with expectations. He noted that Scholastic is upping its per-share earnings forecast for the fiscal year ending May 31.

America’s first woman in space, Dr. Sally Ride (1951–2012) inspired the nation as a pioneering astronaut, brilliant scientist, and dedicated educator. On June 18, 1983, Ride launched through Earth’s atmosphere aboard space shuttle Challenger, becoming the first American woman to reach space. For six days, she worked closely with her four male crewmates, proving to the world below that women were just as adept as their male counterparts in the final frontier.

"We have made significant progress executing on these initiatives since we closed on the acquisition just six weeks ago," said Meredith President and CEO Tom Harty. "For example, today we are announcing we have completed our portfolio review and decided to explore the sale of the TIME, Sports Illustrated, Fortune, and Money brands. These are attractive properties with strong consumer reach. However, they have different target audiences and advertising bases, and we believe each brand is better suited for success with a new owner. We are pleased with the inbound interest we have received, and we are confident these brands will be positioned for growth with an owner that shares Meredith's respect for editorial integrity and independence." Finally, Meredith announced headcount reductions, part of its plan to realize between $400 to $500 million of cost synergies from the Time Inc. acquisition. Approximately 200 employees have been notified that their positions have been eliminated. Additionally, Meredith said approximately 1,000 more positions will be eliminated over the next 10 months. Previously, Meredith announced the elimination of approximately 600 positions as it transitions subscription fulfillment operations to a lower-cost provider. These headcount reductions do not include the impact of any potential divestitures. Click Read More below for additional information.

Midland Paper, Packaging & Supplies, one of North America's largest independent distributors of media for business communications, will feature a brand new synthetic paper product line for HP Indigo print technologies at Dscoop 2018 in Dallas TX. Blanks/USA Plastic Paper is a waterproof poly film that can be used in a multitude of applications such as menus, maps, brochures, instruction manuals, tags and point-of-purchase signage. Blanks/USA Plastic Paper is manufactured in 8 mil, 12 mil and 16 mil constructions and is available in all HP Indigo sizes including B-2. These products can be easily folded, stitched, die-cut, drilled, UV coated and laminated. The entire product line has RIT 3 Star certification. Click Read More below for additional information.

“Execution of our long-term growth strategies, customer demand for the unique value of our broad portfolio of solutions and healthy growth in the global economy are driving our performance,” said Frederick W. Smith, FedEx Corp. chairman and chief executive officer. “We expect strong operating performance in each of our transportation segments in the fourth quarter.” Operating results benefited from higher base rates, increased volume at FedEx Ground and FedEx Freight, and a favorable net impact from fuel. Results were negatively affected by significantly higher variable compensation accruals, increased peak-related costs at FedEx Express and the impact of adverse weather. Variable compensation increased in connection with the company’s pay actions that were announced following the passage of the TCJA. These variable compensation accruals include the year-to-date impact of the announced changes. TNT Express integration expenses were also higher. Click Read More below for additional information.

Celebrating its 20th anniversary, Athleta announced it has earned B Corp Certification from the nonprofit B Lab, becoming one of the largest apparel companies in the world to certify as B Corp. B Corp Certification requires a holistic review of a business’ social and environmental performance, accountability and transparency, and is based on a vision of creating a community of for-profit companies committed to redefining success in business. “We believe with Athleta’s growth, comes even greater responsibility to lead as a force for good,” said Athleta CEO and President Nancy Green. ”Athleta has been at the forefront of empowering and celebrating women for two decades; this B Corp Certification accelerates our course forward as a purpose-driven brand, honoring our mission to ignite a community of healthy, confident, active women and girls; and cementing our commitment to environmental sustainability.” Click Read More below for additional information.

UPS led consortium has deployed a radical new charging technology in London that overcomes the challenge of simultaneously recharging an entire fleet of electric vehicles (EVs) without the need for the expensive upgrade to the power supply grid. The breakthrough signals the beginning of the end of a reliance upon traditional combustion engine powered vehicles by allowing UPS to increase the number of EVs operating from its central London site from the current limit of 65 to all 170 trucks based there. This major advance – believed to be the first time these systems have been deployed at this scale anywhere in the world – is the result of the ‘Smart Electric Urban Logistics (SEUL)’ project with UK Power Networks and Cross River Partnership, with funding secured from the UK’s Office for Low Emission Vehicles. “UPS thinks this is a world first, right in the heart of a mega-city. We are using new technology to work around some big obstacles to electric vehicle deployment, heralding a new generation of sustainable urban delivery services both here in London and in other major cities around the world,” said Peter Harris, director of sustainability, UPS Europe. “Electric vehicles are an integral component within UPS’s alternative fuel and advanced technology fleet. Our collaboration with UK Power Networks and Cross River Partnership marks a major turning point in the cost effective deployment of electric vehicles which in turn will play a key role in ensuring the global trend toward urbanization is sustainable. We are applying new technology to make the charging process smarter and our delivery service cleaner.” Click Read More below for additional information.

Midland Paper, Packaging & Supplies, one of North America's largest independent distributors of media for business communications, is excited to feature Diamond Print Glitter at Dscoop 2018 in Dallas TX. Diamond Print Glitter is a brand new product developed by Harmony Paper that is unlike any other product on the market. Offering a tactile finish, the shimmer and shine you expect from traditional glitter paper, with none of the shedding, flaking or cracking, Diamond Print Glitter application opportunities are endless. The 3 Star RIT rated sheet is made using environmentally friendly materials and proprietary, patent pending coatings in a process that allows a wide variety of substrate versions. The Diamond Print Glitter product line will be available from Midland Paper in sizes for both series 3 and series 4 HP Indigo presses. Click Read More below for additional information.

Kohl’s Kitchen Products scored two of the top five most remembered print ads placed in culinary magazines in December, based on data from GfK MRI’s Starch Advertising Research. In the epicurean category, the highest noted ad score—that is, the percentage of readers of an issue who recalled noticing the advertisement—went to a two-page ad for the book “At the Southern Table with Paula Deen,” which appeared in the December issue of Cooking with Paula Deen. It scored a 90 percent. Two separate gatefold ads for Kohl’s Kitchen Products (Food Network Magazine) checked in at 89 and 82 percent, and KitchenAid Multi Major Appliances (Food & Wine) had a score of 85. Click Read More below for additional information.

Unit sales of print books in the week ended Mar. 12, 2018, inched ahead 1% over the comparable week in 2017, at outlets that report to NPD BookScan. For the third consecutive week, the juvenile categories drove the sales gains. Unit sales in the juvenile nonfiction segment rose 8% over the week ended Mar. 11, 2017. Although children’s board books had a good week overall (unit sales were up 17%), two Chelsea Clinton titles helped lift sales in the category. She Persisted Around the World by Clinton and Alexandra Bolger sold more than 11,000 copies in its first week. The book is a follow-up to the pair’s She Persisted, which sold nearly 8,000 copies in the week, putting the titles in second and sixth place, respectively, on the category bestseller list. The release of the film A Wrinkle in Time pushed up two editions of the Madeleine L’Engle book into the first and sixth spots on the juvenile fiction bestseller list, helping raise unit sales in the segment 7%. Click Read More below for additional information.

For the Fourth Quarter of Fiscal 2017 • Net sales increased 22.6% to $1,937.6 million compared to $1,580.6 million in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2016. Excluding the impact of the 53rd week in fiscal 2017, net sales increased 15.7%; • Net sales in the 53rd week were $108.8 million and represented approximately $0.14 of diluted earnings per share; • Comparable sales (sales for stores open at least 14 months and e-commerce sales) increased 8.8% compared to an increase of 16.6% in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2016. The 8.8% comparable sales increase was driven by 6.2% transaction growth and 2.6% growth in average ticket; • Retail comparable sales increased 4.2%, including salon comparable sales growth of 3.2%; Click Read More below for additional information.

The streak of monthly bookstore sales declines reached six in January. According to preliminary estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau, bookstore sales fell 9.1% in January 2018 compared to the first month of 2017. Sales fell from $1.42 billion last year to $1.30 billion. The January drop followed sales declines in the last five months of 2017 compared to the same period in 2016. For all of 2017, bookstore sales fell 3.6%. Click Read More below for additional information.

Operating income for the fourth quarter of 2017 was $4.1 million compared to an operating loss of $8.1 million in 2016. Fourth quarter results include non-cash pretax asset impairment charges of $3.2 million in 2017 compared to $1.2 million in 2016. Excluding these charges, adjusted operating income for the fourth quarter was $7.3 million, up $14.3 million from the adjusted operating loss of $7.0 million in 2016 (see Note 1). Net loss for the fourth quarter was $0.4 million or $0.01 per diluted share compared to a net loss of $4.9 million or $0.11 per diluted share in 2016. Click Read More below for additional information.

Steve Lacy greeted me in his office as if we were old friends. A top executive at the Meredith Corporation, he was a main driver of the company’s $2.8 billion acquisition of Time Inc. last November. With that deal, the 116-year-old Meredith Corporation became the largest magazine publisher in America. When he spoke, it was clear Mr. Lacy took pride in Meredith’s unassuming corporate culture, so far removed from the New York magazine scene. “In Des Moines, Iowa, we don’t have to prove anything to anybody about the Meredith Corporation,” Mr. Lacy said. “We don’t have drivers. We’d look silly, and it would be not in keeping with who we are.” He added, “I presume you know that if I want a black car, I can get one.” Click Read More below for additional information.

Apple announced that it will acquire digital magazine subscription service Texture, adding another service into its repertoire of monthly-billed entertainment. Texture offers subscribers unlimited access to over 200 magazines, including titles such as The New Yorker, ESPN Magazine, Time and National Geographic. The terms of the deal were not disclosed. Having launched in 2010, as Next Issue, Texture was created in a collaborative effort by Condé Nast, Hearst, Meredith, News Corp., Rogers Communications and Time Inc., to provide a place for readers to access stories and entire issues of familiar titles while also introducing them to new publications. Click Read More below for additional information.

Fourth Quarter 2017 Results: • Record gross revenue was $301.0 million in the fourth quarter, an increase of 11% compared with $270.4 million in the fourth quarter of 2016. • Gross profit (net revenue) was $71.3 million, or 23.7% of gross revenue, in the fourth quarter, an increase of 4% compared to $68.7 million, or 25.4% of revenue, in the same period of 2016. Full-Year 2017 Results and Recent Highlights: • Gross revenue was $1,136.3 million in 2017, an increase of 4% compared with $1,090.7 million in 2016. • Gross profit (net revenue) was $278.3 million, or 24.5% of gross revenue, in 2017, a 6% increase compared to $263.5 million, or 24.2% of revenue, in 2016. • Net income in 2017 was $19.0 million, or $0.35 per diluted share, compared to $4.4 million, or $0.08 per diluted share, in 2016. Click Read More below for additional information.

Seeking to preserve the Obama-era net neutrality rules, the mayors of 12 cities have signed a pledge stating that they will attempt to procure broadband service from companies that don't block or throttle traffic, and don't charge companies higher fees for prioritized delivery. The pledge -- written by Mayors Bill de Blasio of New York, Ted Wheeler of Portland and Steve Adler of Austin -- also includes a promise to encourage consumers to use Internet service providers that follow net neutrality principles. The city leaders created a website -- MayorsForNetNeutrality.org -- and are asking other mayors to publicly declare their support net neutrality. "Cities cannot allow private internet service providers to be the gatekeeper between our residents and the local government services on which they depend every day," the pledge states. Click Read More below for additional information.

Sales at the Hachette Book Group rose 2.7% last year, parent company Lagardere reported. The increase was attributed in part to contributions from Perseus (where You Are a Badass sold over 648,000 print copies) and its Nashville-based imprints (where The Shack had strong sales). HBG also benefited from a full year ownership of Perseus, which it acquired at the end of March in 2016. Earlier this year. Lagardere reported that total revenue in the publishing group was €2.29 billion, up 1.1% over 2016. In its release Thursday, the company said EBIT (earnings before interest and taxes) rose 1.0%, to €210 million. Similar to the sales gain, Lagardere said the profit improvement was "mainly attributable to a strong performance in the United States," driven by "successful releases" as well as continued profitability gains from the consolidation of Perseus. Click Read More below for additional information.

Nordstrom announced that it's acquiring two leading retail technology companies: BevyUp, a digital selling tool, and MessageYes, a platform rooted in conversational commerce. More specifically, BevyUp is a platform that allows sales associates to communicate with each other on the back end, and encourages shoppers to share information with each other and browse items together online. Its digital selling platform will be incorporated into a new mobile app for Nordstrom's employees, rolling out next year, the companies said. MessageYes offers brands the opportunity to send shoppers more personalized notifications, with their consent, while they browse online. Shoppers can ultimately respond "Yes" to one of Nordstrom's messages to instantly buy products from their phones. Click Read More below for additional information.

L Brands, Inc. reported net sales of $853.9 million for the four-week period ended March 3, 2018, compared to net sales of $765.5 million for the four-week period ended Feb. 25, 2017. Comparable sales for the four weeks ended March 3, 2018, increased 3 percent compared to the four weeks ended March 4, 2017. The company has authorized a new $250 million share repurchase program, which includes the remaining $23.1 million outstanding under the previous program.

The study, released by the influential marketing analytics specialists, states that Advertisers should re-evaluate the use of traditional media such as radio, newspapers and magazines based on new research by the independent marketing and media consultancy. In the first report of its kind, Re-evaluating Media reveals radio, newspapers and magazines perform significantly better than they are perceived to for brand building campaigns. TV and radio are by far the strongest advertising media for brand-building followed by newspapers, magazines and out-of-home. Yet it discovered that industry decision-makers believe that online video and social media are the second and third most effective media after TV. Click Read More below for additional information.

Reported net income for the quarter was $701 million, or $1.59 per diluted share, compared to $515 million, or $1.17 per diluted share, last year. Earnings per share increased $0.17 due to a net income tax benefit of $74 million, as a result of the new tax laws. Excluding this benefit, net income grew 22%. Net income for the first 24 weeks of fiscal year 2018 was $1.34 billion, or $3.04 per diluted share, compared to $1.06 billion, or $2.41 per diluted share, last year. For the four-week reporting month of February, ended March 4, 2018, the Company reported net sales of $10.21 billion, an increase of 12.8 percent from $9.05 billion during the similar period last year. For the twenty-six week period ended March 4, 2018, net sales were $68.51 billion, an increase of 12.0 percent from $61.18 billion during the similar period last year. Click Read More below for additional information.

Urban Outfitters, Inc. announced net income of $1 million and $108 million for the three months and year ended January 31, 2018, respectively. Earnings per diluted share were $0.01 and $0.96 for the three months and year ended January 31, 2018, respectively. For the three months ended January 31, 2018, adjusted net income was $75 million and adjusted earnings per diluted share were $0.69. Total Company net sales for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2018 increased 5.7% over the same period last year to a record $1.09 billion. Comparable Retail segment net sales increased 4%, driven by strong, double-digit growth in the digital channel partially offset by negative retail store sales. By brand, comparable Retail segment net sales increased 8% at Free People, 5% at the Anthropologie Group and 2% at Urban Outfitters. Wholesale segment net sales increased 6.3%. For the year ended January 31, 2018, total Company net sales increased to $3.6 billion or 2.0% over the prior year. Comparable Retail segment net sales were flat. Wholesale segment net sales increased 9.5%. Click Read More below for additional information.

•Net sales increased 15% for the quarter and 5% for the year, including the additional week •Comparable sales increased 9% for the quarter and 3% for the year, with Hollister up 11% and Abercrombie up 5% for the quarter •Operating income more than doubled to $140.3 million for the quarter and increased to $72.1 million for the year. Click Read More below for additional information.

Amazon.com, Inc. announced plans for the first Missouri fulfillment center to be located in St. Peters, creating more than 1,500 full-time jobs with benefits and opportunities to engage with Amazon Robotics in a highly technological workplace. Amazon currently operates a sortation center in Hazelwood, where it employs hundreds of associates. “We’re excited to continue growing our team with our first, state-of-the-art fulfillment center in Missouri,” said Sanjay Shah, Amazon’s Vice President of North America Customer Fulfillment. “Our ability to expand in Missouri is the result of two things: incredible customers and an outstanding workforce. Amazon is committed to providing great opportunities for employment and creating a positive economic impact for the region.” Click Read More below for additional information.

S&P Global announced it has entered into a $1 billion accelerated share repurchase agreement with Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC. The transaction is expected to be completed in the third quarter of 2018. The Company is using available cash to fund the accelerated share repurchase transaction. Since the 50 million share repurchase authorization from the Board of Directors in 2013, S&P Global has repurchased 31.6 million shares. Click Read More below for additional information.

Nordstrom announced a partnership with Anthropologie to introduce more than 200 items from Anthropologie Home at select Nordstrom full-line stores and on Nordstrom.com, beginning March 19th. The Anthropologie Home collection will encompass categories including kitchen, dining and entertaining, bed and bath textiles, room décor, stationery and hardware. "We are thrilled to be launching the best of Anthropologie Home into 15 Nordstrom stores and on Nordstrom.com. Home is a category we continue to evolve and being Anthropologie's partner will allow us to introduce dynamic home product with a regular cadence," said Gemma Lionello, executive vice president and general merchandise manager, Nordstrom. "We look forward to providing our customers with another way to shop one of their favorite home brands." Click Read More below for additional information.

Target Corporation announced its fourth quarter and full-year 2017 results. The Company reported GAAP earnings per share (EPS) from continuing operations of $2.02 in fourth quarter and $5.32 for full-year 2017, compared with $1.46 and $4.58 in 2016, respectively. Fourth quarter Adjusted EPS were $1.37, compared with $1.45 in 2016. Full-year Adjusted EPS were $4.71, compared with $5.01 in 2016. The attached tables provide a reconciliation of non-GAAP to GAAP measures. All earnings per share figures refer to diluted EPS. "Our fourth quarter results demonstrate the power of the significant investments we've made in our team and our business throughout 2017. Our team's outstanding execution of Target's strategic initiatives during the year delivered strong fourth quarter traffic growth in our stores and digital channels, which drove healthy comparable sales in every one of our five core merchandise categories," said Brian Cornell, chairman and chief executive officer of Target Corporation. Click Read More below for additional information.

Conventional retailers are working with industry groups to overturn a tax break that benefits e-commerce brands. On Monday, the Retail Industry Leaders Association public policy organization called Retail Litigation Center, along with more than 20 retail and wholesale trade associations, filed a document to overturn a rule that the Supreme Court adopted in the pre-Internet era. Specifically, the group hopes to influence the court to reverse special tax breaks given to online retailers. The brief highlights the pending Supreme Court case, South Dakota v. Wayfair, Overstock, and Newegg, which seeks to repeal the law that keeps states from collecting sales tax from online purchases unless those retailers have a physical presence within their state. Click Read More below for additional information.

After 51 years in print, Institutional Investor will scrap its paper edition and go digital-only after its April issue, the financial magazine announced this week. The decision comes as the result of “sustained and substantial growth in online reader traffic,” and increased demand among advertisers for digital marketing solutions, according to a statement. “Asset managers and allocators have an increased desire to consume content and market digitally, given the ease of access, efficient targeting, and generational change in the industry,” said Institutional Investor CEO Diane Alfano in the statement. “It’s exciting to watch the evolution of our business and the shift from print to community.” Click Read More below for additional information.

John Wiley & Sons, Inc. announced results for the third quarter ending January 31, 2018. • Third quarter revenue up 4% to $455.7 million, or down 1% at constant currency • Third quarter GAAP EPS up 45% to $1.19 primarily due to impact of the US Tax Act; Adjusted EPS down 14% at constant currency • Year-to-date revenue up 4% to $1,318.9 million, or up 1% at constant currency • Year-to-date GAAP EPS $2.39 compared to $1.15 in prior year; Adjusted EPS at constant currency up 1%. Click Read More below for additional information.

Meredith, now the nation’s largest magazine publisher, will slash magazine frequency and circulation levels and close print titles if a proposed 40 percent hike in postal rates over the next five years takes hold, its chief executive Thomas Harty said. The Postal Regulatory Commission is proposing price hikes from 34 to 41 percent for second-class mail, known as periodicals class. A vote is expected this spring. “The proposed increased for the periodical class will require Meredith to pursue magazine closures, circulation cuts, issue frequency reductions, conversions to digital-only formats and alternate delivery for some magazine subscription copies,” Harty said in testimony submitted to the PRC. Click Read More below for additional information.

This year, Amazon will celebrate its third year fulfilling customer orders out of Illinois and surpassing the milestone of 10,000 full-time employees in the state with job opportunities for people with all types of experience, education and skill levels—from human resources, engineers and facilities technicians, to those seeking entry-level positions and on-the-job training. We couldn’t be prouder to be part of the Illinois family. Our team in the Land of Lincoln has been instrumental in providing outstanding customer experiences, raising the bar on our operational excellence, and continuing to innovate on behalf of the customer. We feel fortunate to have been able to create more than 10,000 jobs in just three years and gratified by the amazing support we’ve received from the community,” said Sanjay Shah, Amazon’s Vice President of North America Customer Fulfillment. Click Read More below for additional information.

Four titles shared the rank of top print audience performers in November 2017, according to the latest GfK MRI’s issue Specific (IS) Readership Study. Forbes, Men’s Journal, New York Times Magazine and People received IS scores of 140. Forbes magazine’s Nov. 14 issue (IS audience: 9,115,000) featured an “exclusive interview” with Donald Trump, titled “Inside Trump’s Head.” Men’s Journal’s (3,645,000) Nov. 17 issue featured Thor star, Chris Hemsworth, and how he got “ripped” to play Marvel’s action hero while maintaining a “down-to-earth” persona. The Nov. 5 issue of New York Times Magazine (5,840,000) featured Barack Obama on their illusion cover that imitated a turning page and posed the simple headline question “Why Can’t Democrats Turn The Page?” Entertainment magazine People (53,061,000) featured their Sexiest Man Alive in the Nov. 27 issue, which announced Blake Shelton as the 2017 title holder. Click Read More below for additional information.

HarperCollins Publishers announced it has acquired the trade book assets of AMACOM from the American Management Association International (AMA). HarperCollins will take over all front list and backlist publication, sales, distribution, and licensing of the more than 600 books in AMACOM's catalog. AMACOM, which primarily focuses on personal and professional growth and business leadership, will be a sub-imprint of the recently launched HarperCollins Leadership (HCL) imprint, which is run out of the company's Nashville, TN offices. Financial details of the acquisition were not disclosed. "Business, management and leadership are key growth areas for HarperCollins internationally," said Brian Murray, President and CEO of HarperCollins Publishers. "The purchase of AMACOM's trade publishing will allow us to broaden our catalog of books with potential in emerging markets, from Asia to South America. It is a natural fit for our expanding publishing programs." Click Read More below for additional information.

The company’s fourth quarter fiscal year 2017 comparable sales were up 5 percent compared with an increase of 2 percent last year. Comparable sales by global brand for the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2017 were as follows: • Old Navy Global: positive 9 percent versus positive 5 percent last year • Gap Global: flat versus flat last year • Banana Republic Global: positive 1 percent versus negative 3 percent last year. For fiscal year 2017, the company’s comparable sales were up 3 percent compared with a decline of 2 percent last year. Comparable sales by global brand for fiscal year 2017 were as follows: • Old Navy Global: positive 6 percent versus positive 1 percent last year • Gap Global: negative 1 percent versus negative 3 percent last year • Banana Republic Global: negative 2 percent versus negative 7 percent last year. Click Read More below for additional information.

Nordstrom, Inc. reported fourth quarter earnings per diluted share for the fourth quarter ended February 3, 2018 of $0.89, which included impacts associated with corporate tax reform consisting of a $0.25 charge primarily related to its income tax provision and a one-time pretax investment in its employees of $16 million or $0.06. Net sales for the fourth quarter increased 8.4 percent, inclusive of approximately $220 million related to the 53rd week, and comparable sales increased 2.6 percent. For fiscal 2017, earnings per diluted share was $2.59, including corporate tax reform-related reductions of $0.31. Earnings were in-line with the Company's prior outlook of $2.90 to $2.95, which did not incorporate the impacts related to corporate tax reform. Net sales increased 4.4 percent and comparable sales increased 0.8 percent, slightly exceeding the Company's prior outlook for sales growth of approximately 4.2 percent and comparable sales increase of approximately 0.5 percent. Click Read More below for additional information.

Full Year 2017 Results: Total net sales decreased (0.3) % to $12.51 billion compared to $12.55 billion last year. Comparable sales increased 0.1 % for full year 2017. The slight decline in total net sales was primarily due to store closures in 2017, most of which closed in the first half of the year, and was partially offset by incremental sales for the 53rd week. Net loss was ($116) million, or ($0.37) per share, compared to net income of $1 million, or $0.00 per share last year. This reduction was driven primarily by restructuring charges associated with the fiscal 2017 store closures and voluntary early retirement program. Click Read More below for additional information.

Even as consumer time spent with media continues to expand -- inching up 0.3% last year -- the percentage of time consumers spend with ad-supported media continues to decline, according to the 2018 edition of an annual report tracking and forecasting consumer media usage. The study, which was previewed by Research Intelligencer, comes as a major industry futurist -- Publicis’ Rishad Tobaccowala -- predicts that ad-supported media exposure is about to experience a cliff effect, declining as much as 30% over the next five years as consumers shift their attention to non-ad-supported media. The good news is that the total amount of time Americans spent consuming media rose to 70.7 hours per week last year. The bad news for Madison Avenue is that the share of time spent with ad-supported media fell to 44.4%, its lowest point ever. Click Read More below for additional information.

Earnings per share for the 14-week fourth quarter ended Feb. 3, 2018, were $2.33 compared to $2.18 for the 13-week quarter ended Jan. 28, 2017. The extra week in 2017 represented approximately $0.10 per share. Fourth quarter operating income was $986.6 million compared to $987.6 million last year, and net income was $664.1 million compared to $631.7 million last year. Net sales were $4.823 billion for the 14-week fourth quarter ended Feb. 3, 2018, compared to $4.489 billion for the 13 weeks ended Jan. 28, 2017. Comparable sales for the 14-week fourth quarter ended Feb. 3, 2018, increased 2 percent compared to the 14 weeks ended Feb. 4, 2017. The extra week in 2017 represented approximately $160 million in sales. Click Read More below for additional information.

Best Buy Co., Inc. announced results for the 14-week fourth quarter (“Q4 FY18”) and 53-week year ended February 3, 2018 (“FY18”), as compared to the 13-week fourth quarter (“Q4 FY17”) and 52-week year ended January 28, 2017 (“FY17”). The company reported Q4 FY18 GAAP diluted earnings per share from continuing operations of $1.23, which included the negative impact from items related to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (“tax reform”) of approximately $1.17 in diluted earnings per share. Non-GAAP diluted earnings per share from continuing operations for Q4 FY18 were $2.42, an increase of 25% from $1.93 in Q4 FY17. “We are excited to report strong results for the fourth quarter and the year,” said Hubert Joly, Best Buy chairman and CEO. “We are especially proud of our 9.0% comparable sales growth in the quarter, which brings our annual comparable sales growth to 5.6% for the year. Customers are responding very positively to our Best Buy 2020 strategy, and I want to enthusiastically thank all our associates for their great work in delivering these results. The level of energy and dedication to serving customers that I see across the company is truly inspiring.” Click Read More below for additional information.

Publishers saw increased revenues in October, up $251 million (+27.6%) for October 2017 vs October 2016. The strong month brings revenues for Jan. – Oct. 2017 to $12.44 billion, up +1.7% for the year-to-date. Every category saw an increase in revenues for Oct. 2017, which include sales to bookstores, wholesalers, direct to consumer, online retailers, etc.) Trade books are up +16.5% for Oct. 2017 vs Oct. 2016 and 1.6% year-to-date. The greatest growth in the trade category was adult books, which saw $123.5 million (+25.8%) revenue growth. Publishers report that the significant increase is due to several factors including the book debuts from well-known authors. Click Read More below for additional information.

Total sales for the third quarter were $1.2 billion, declining 5.3% as compared to the prior year. Comparable store sales decreased 5.8% for the quarter, primarily due to lower traffic. Comparable store sales trends did improve in January, declining 3.5%. The consolidated third quarter net loss was $63.5 million, or $0.87 per share, as compared to prior year net earnings of $70.3 million, or $0.96 per share. Third quarter results include a non-cash goodwill impairment charge of $133.6 million, and a severance charge of $10.7 million associated with the Company's transition to a new labor model. Click Read More below for additional information.

Select Preliminary Unaudited Fourth Quarter 2017 Highlights • Gross revenue is expected to be between $303 million and $308 million in the fourth quarter, an increase of 12 to 14% compared with $270.4 million in the fourth quarter of 2016. • Gross profit (net revenue) is expected to be between $74 million and $75 million in the fourth quarter, an increase of 8 to 9% compared to $68.7 million in the same period of 2016. Select Preliminary Unaudited Full Year 2017 and Recent Highlights • Gross revenue is expected to be between $1,138 million and $1,143 million in 2017, an increase of 4 to 5% compared with $1,090.7 million in 2016. • Gross profit (net revenue) is expected to be between $281 million and $282 million, a 7% increase compared to $263.5 million in 2016. Click Read More below for additional information.

For the fourteen weeks ended February 3, 2018 ("the fourth quarter"), the Company reported net income of $28.0 million, or $0.22 per diluted share, compared to net income of $13.5 million, or $0.10 per diluted share, for the thirteen weeks ended January 28, 2017 ("last year's fourth quarter"). For the fourth quarter, gross margin was $221.6 million, or 37.7% of net sales, compared to $213.4 million, or 35.5% of net sales, in last year's fourth quarter. This 220 basis point increase primarily reflects a 170 basis point improvement in merchandise margin driven by lower average unit costs and a reduction in store occupancy costs. Click Read More below for additional information.

Total reported sales for the fourth quarter of 2017 were $2.6 billion compared to $2.7 billion in the fourth quarter of 2016, a decrease of 5%. Sales for the full year 2017 were $10.2 billion, a decline of 7% compared to the prior year. Fourth quarter and full year 2016 results benefited from an additional 53rd week sales of approximately $143 million and have been removed from our adjusted sales change below. In the fourth quarter of 2017, Office Depot reported operating income of $59 million. The Company recognized a net loss from continuing operations in the fourth quarter of 2017 of $48 million, or $0.09 per diluted share, resulting from a net tax expense of approximately $68 million associated with changes to the Company’s U.S. deferred tax assets and tax valuation allowance due to recent tax law reform. Click Read More below for additional information.

Highlights for the fourth quarter: • Ended 2017 with $71.4 million of cash and cash equivalents as well as $9.1 million of restricted cash; Torstar has no bank indebtedness. • Cash provided by operating activities was $23.6 million in the fourth quarter of 2017 reflecting $31.6 million of cash generated by operating activities partially offset by an $8.1 million increase in working capital. • Our net income from continuing operations was $7.8 million ($0.10 per share) in the fourth quarter of 2017. This compares to net income of $0.7 million ($0.01 per share) in the fourth quarter of 2016. Click Read More below for additional information.

As you are most likely aware, the packaging industry and much of North America has faced significant shipping and logistics challenges over the past several months. Several factors such as demand for freight services outstripping the number of trucks on the road, inclement weather conditions, and the implementation of the new Electronic Logging Device (ELD) regulations in December 2017, have collectively compounded the issue of imbalance in the truck and driver supply. The ELD mandate will have an impact on freight costs. Most carriers that have implemented ELDs have reported productivity decreases of approximately 15% with fewer miles driven per day. It is also expected that some capacity may be taken out of the market due to the rising costs. The net result of all of this is high load to carrier ratios driving up freight rates which often change with little notice. Click Read More below for additional information.

Sales in the fourth quarter of 2017 totaled $8.666 billion, an increase of 1.8 percent, compared with sales of $8.515 billion in the fourth quarter of 2016. Comparable sales on an owned basis were up 1.3 percent in the fourth quarter and up 1.4 percent on an owned plus licensed basis. Total sales in the fourth quarter of 2017 reflect a 14th week of sales, whereas comparable sales are on the same 13-week basis as fiscal 2016. Sales in fiscal 2017 totaled $24.837 billion, down 3.7 percent from total sales of $25.778 billion in fiscal 2016. Comparable sales on an owned basis declined 2.2 percent in fiscal 2017. Macy's, Inc.'s operating income for the fourth quarter of 2017 totaled $1.213 billion, or 14.0 percent of sales, compared to $815 million, or 9.6 percent of sales, for the fourth quarter of 2016. Operating income for the fourth quarter of 2017 totaled $1.397 billion, or 16.1 percent of sales, excluding restructuring and other costs of $152 million and non-cash retirement plan settlement charges of $32 million. For fiscal 2017, Macy's, Inc.'s operating income totaled $1.807 billion, or 7.3 percent of sales, compared with operating income of $1.315 billion, or 5.1 percent of sales, for fiscal 2016. Click Read More below for additional information.

Meredith Corporation announced that it has entered into a binding agreement with Epiris Fund II, advised by Epiris LLP (a UK private equity firm), to sell Time Inc. UK. Formerly owned by Time Inc., Time Inc. UK was acquired by Meredith on January 31, 2018, as part of its acquisition of Time Inc., which had been in the process of selling Time Inc. UK. Time Inc. UK is one of the UK's leading media companies, creating quality content that entertains millions of UK consumers every day. With a heritage spanning 165 years, its portfolio encompasses more than 50 well-known brands, including Country Life, What's on TV, Woman's Weekly and Wallpaper*, and operates across multiple platforms – print, online, mobile, TV and experiences. Click Read More below for additional information.

Auto-renewal subscription programs are a great way for e-commerce businesses to build a constant revenue stream. And they benefit both the company and the consumer. Companies can sell their product or service consistently over a period of time, while the customer doesn’t have to be hassled with repurchasing the product or service every month or year. My daughter has a guinea pig, and we have set our Amazon account to send us her preferred guinea pig food each month, for which we get automatically charged the same amount each month. Little Trevor will never starve! Similarly, we subscribe to Netflix, and we pay a fee that is automatically charged to our credit card each month. Many subscription programs offer new customers the ability to try a service for free for a trial period. To take advantage of the free trial offer, customers have to provide a credit card that will be automatically charged at the end of the trial if the customer does not cancel in time. Click Read More below for additional information.

Highlights: Operating performance on track • 2017 adjusted operating profit of £576m is at the top end of our upwardly-revised October 2017 guidance range, adjusting for currency movements. • Adjusted earnings per share of 54.1p is above the October 2017 guidance range of 49.0p-52.0p reflecting strong profitability, a lower than expected tax rate of 11.1% and after a net interest charge of £79m. • Total underlying revenues declined 2%, in line with the performance in the nine-months, due to a decline of 4% in North America partly offset by stabilisation in Core and Growth. • Statutory operating profit for the year was £451m (2016: a loss of £2,497m). Click Read More below for additional information.

First quarter net revenue of $7.7 billion was up 11% from the prior year and up 9% when adjusted for currency. First quarter GAAP diluted net earnings per share (“EPS”) from continuing operations was $0.92, up from GAAP diluted net EPS from continuing operations of $0.15 in the prior-year period. First quarter non-GAAP diluted net EPS from continuing operations was $0.34, up from non-GAAP diluted net EPS from continuing operations of $0.28 in the prior-year period. “Our strong Q1 performance is proof that we have the right strategy and improved execution,” said Antonio Neri, President and CEO of HPE. “We had good revenue growth across every business segment, continued to execute HPE Next with no disruption to the business, and delivered strong shareholder return in the form of share repurchases and dividends.” Click Read More below for additional information.

Net Sales for the full year increased $35 million, or 2.5%, year over year. The net sales increase was driven by a $19 million increase in our Trade Publishing segment and a $16 million increase in our Education segment during the current period. Operating loss for the full year 2017 was $114 million, $197 million lower than the $311 million operating loss recorded in 2016. Net loss of $103 million for the full year 2017 was $182 million lower than the net loss of $285 million in 2016, due primarily to the same factors impacting operating loss offset by a $15 million unfavorable change in our income tax benefit in 2017, from an income tax benefit of $65 million for the same period in 2016 to an income tax benefit of $50 million in 2017. Click Read More below for additional information.

In the first full fiscal year after the Jet.com acquisition, Walmart posted a 44% increase in e-commerce sales to $11.5 billion across all its U.S. sites. However, web sales grew only 23% in the fourth quarter as problems managing inventory resulted in some items being unavailable to online shoppers. Walmart, No. 3 in the Internet Retailer 2017 Top 500, also announced a 47% year-over-year rise in gross merchandise value—the value of all goods sold on its e-commerce sites, a figure that includes merchandise sold by other merchants on Walmart.com and Jet.com. Overall, the company’s revenues were up 3.0% year over year, a $14.5 billion rise to $500.3 billion. The company’s 23% online growth in the fourth quarter was down from last quarter, which saw a 50% increase, and Q4 last year, during which online sales grew 29%. Click Read More below for additional information.

Albertsons Companies, one of the nation's largest grocery retailers, and Rite Aid Corporation, one of the nation's leading drugstore chains, announced a definitive merger agreement under which privately held Albertsons Companies will merge with publicly traded Rite Aid. Under the terms of the agreement, in exchange for every 10 shares of Rite Aid common stock, Rite Aid shareholders will have the right to elect to receive either (i) one share of Albertsons Companies common stock plus approximately $1.83 in cash or (ii) 1.079 shares of Albertsons Companies stock. Depending upon the results of cash elections, upon closing of the merger, shareholders of Rite Aid will own a 28.0 percent to 29.6 percent stake in the combined company, and current Albertsons Companies shareholders will own a 70.4 percent to 72.0 percent stake in the combined company on a fully diluted basis. Immediately following completion of the merger and assuming that all Rite Aid shareholders elect to receive shares plus cash, Albertsons Companies will have approximately 392.9 million shares outstanding on a pro forma and fully diluted basis. Following the close of the transaction and the share exchange, Albertsons Companies' shares are expected to trade on the New York Stock Exchange. Click Read More below for additional information

Operating revenues were $854.2 million, including approximately $49.1 million from the 53rd week, compared to $867.0 million in the prior year quarter. Favorable changes in foreign currency exchange rates benefited revenues by $4.2 million. Same store operating revenues declined 8.8%, an improvement compared to a decline of 9.4% in the third quarter of 2017, due to our strategic subscriber pricing initiatives and the inclusion of a full quarter of ReachLocal revenue in our same store calculation. Total digital revenues increased to $272.3 million, or approximately 31.9% of total revenue. GAAP net losses were $13.6 million, including a $42.8 million tax expense from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 and $27.6 million of after-tax restructuring, asset impairment charges and other costs. Click Read More below for additional information.

Gap Inc. announced that Jeff Kirwan, president and CEO of Gap brand, will leave the company. “Under Jeff’s leadership we made significant progress on the operating model of Gap brand. We are faster and more responsive than ever before, we radically improved quality and fit, and we centered the brand on the aesthetic that our customers love: casual, optimistic and American. We have also seen the results of exceptional marketing and customer engagement reflected in increased traffic, improved sales and the strength of the digital business” said Art Peck, chief executive officer of Gap Inc. “While I am pleased with our progress in brand health and product quality, we have not achieved the operational excellence and accelerated profit growth that we know is possible at Gap brand. As we move into the brand’s next phase of development, Jeff and I agreed it was an appropriate time for a change in leadership,” Peck continued. Click Read More below for additional information.

Simon & Schuster finished 2017 on a high note, posting a 12% increase in revenue in the fourth quarter over the comparable period in 2016. The publisher also saw a 22% jump in operating income. With the strong finish, sales for the full year rose 8% over 2016, to $830 million, while earnings increased 11%, to $132 million. S&S CEO Carolyn Reidy said 2017 was a year in which most of S&S's plans came to fruition. She noted that all four of the publisehr's major operating groups posted sales gains over the previous year. The audio group, led by sales of downloadable audio, saw the biggest gain, followed by the international group, the adult group, then the children's group.The company's distribution business also had higher sales in the year. Click Read More below for additional information.

The five covers depict iconic scenes from Spielberg’s most famous movies; Jaws, Raider Of The Lost Ark, E.T The Extra Terrestrial and Saving Private Ryan and well as one featuring the new virtual reality blockbuster, Ready Player One, which hits cinemas on 29 March. This major publishing event builds on a long and established relationship between Empire, the world’s biggest movie magazine and the legendary film director which has spanned over three decades. Inside the special issue, on sale on Thursday 22 February, readers can look forward to an exclusive interview and photo shoot with Spielberg himself, an access all areas feature on his new virtual-reality film Ready Player One, plus exclusive interviews and essays from iconic directors and actors including Martin Scorsese, JJ Abrams, Tom Hanks, Christopher Nolan, Josh Brolin, Edgar Wright, JA Bayona, Colin Trevorrow, Rian Johnson, Jeff Goldblum, Laura Dern and Sam Neill. Click Read More below for additional information.

New figures from the U.S. Census Bureau suggest online sales grew roughly 15.9% in January, a slight deceleration from strong gains in December and November. What the government agency calls “nonstore sales” reached $54.97 billion on a seasonally adjusted basis in January, a 10.2% increase compared with $49.87 billion. Nonstore sales mainly take place online but also include other channels such as mail and telephone orders, door-to-door sales and sales through vending machines. Click Read More below for additional information.

Bauer Media remains the UK’s leading consumer magazine publisher by total paid-for copies sold and Retail Sales Value. Commenting on the results Rob Munro-Hall, Group Managing Director, Bauer Magazine Media UK said: “Bauer Media retains its leading position in the highly competitive TV Listings and True Life markets. We’re extremely proud of our performance this period - TV Choice is the only magazine in the UK to sell over 1 million copies a week and Take a Break’s monthly companion magazine has seen an impressive 25% YOY uplift. We’ve also seen continuing success for our Specialist magazines, particularly our gardening titles Garden News and Garden Answers, whilst Practical Photography is the fastest growing monthly magazine in the UK. These standout performances demonstrate how magazines play a critical role in the lives of our readers, creating meaningful connections in a truly trusted environment. Our world class editorial teams are tireless in ensuring that they have a deep understanding of their audiences, both through insight and instinct. This enables us to deliver content that has a strong cultural impact whatever the passion area and brings readers back every week or month.” Click Read More below for additional information.

Stephen Lacy, executive chairman of Meredith Corp., the magazine publisher and owner of 17 broadcast television stations, has had his share of disappointments. In 2013, he tried to buy a group of magazines from Time Warner Inc., only to see Time Warner spin off all its magazines under the Time Inc. umbrella. Mr. Lacy persisted. Meredith-with its long history of women's service titles that include Better Homes & Gardens, Shape and Allrecipes-appeared the most likely partner for Time Inc., whose properties include such women's brands as Real Simple, InStyle and People. Now, after several years of trying, Mr. Lacy has acquired Time Inc. for $1.85 billion, establishing Meredith as the country's largest magazine publisher. It represents a daring bet on the future of print magazines at a time when print advertising and circulation revenues continue to slump. Click Read More below for additional information.

Total revenues in the fourth quarter of 2017 were $244.7 million, down 6.7% compared to the fourth quarter of 2016. Headwinds that impacted advertising included a soft holiday retail advertising season and continued declines in print advertising. Adjusted net income, which excludes the items above, was $3.2 million. Adjusted EBITDA was $53.7 million, down 15.0% compared to the fourth quarter last year. Operating expenses were down 6.1% while adjusted operating expenses, which exclude non-cash and certain other charges, were down 4.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Click Read More below for additional information.

L Brands, Inc. (NYSE:LB) reported net sales of $1.040 billion for the five-week period ended Feb. 3, 2018, compared to sales of $805.2 million for the four-week period ended Jan.…

Costco Wholesale Corporation (“Costco” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq:COST) today reported net sales of $12.24 billion for the month of January, the five weeks ended February 4, 2018, an increase of…

For the first three quarters of the year publishers’ revenues (sales to bookstores, wholesalers, direct to consumer, online retailers, etc.) were flat (-0.5%) compared to the same period in 2016.…

The New York Times Company (NYSE:NYT) announced today fourth-quarter 2017 diluted loss per share from continuing operations of $.35 compared with $.24 earnings per share in the same period of…

Magic 8 balls dotted the ballroom tabletops, but clairvoyance about the future of the magazine industry was in short supply at the 2018 edition of the American Magazine Media Conference,…

UPS (NYSE:UPS) today announced development of a new package operations center to support commercial and residential commerce in the growing North America Borderplex. The strategic investment serves a manufacturing region…

Kohl’s (NYSE: KSS) today announced the continuation of its partnership with Penfield Children’s Center in Milwaukee, donating $2.4 million over three years to support the Kohl’s Building Blocks program. Created…

S&P Global (NYSE: SPGI) today reported fourth quarter and full-year 2017 results.  The Company reported fourth quarter 2017 revenue of $1.59 billion, an increase of 14% compared to the same…

The Bon-Ton Stores, Inc. (OTCQX: BONT) (“the Company”), today announced that the Company and its subsidiaries have filed voluntary petitions for a court-supervised financial restructuring under Chapter 11 of the…

Today the Postal Regulatory Commission (Commission) released its Annual Report to the President and Congress summarizing the activities undertaken by the Commission during Fiscal Year (FY) 2017. Each year, the…

Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) today announced financial results for its fourth quarter ended December 31, 2017. Operating cash flow increased 7% to $18.4 billion for the trailing twelve months, compared…

Sears Holdings Corp. has laid off about 220 corporate employees, effective immediately. Most of those employees worked at the company’s Hoffman Estates headquarters, and the cuts affected various business units…

UPS today announced more than $12 billion in investments to expand the company’s Smart Logistics Network, significantly increase pension funding, and position the company to further enhance shareowner value. “This…

Meredith Corporation (NYSE: MDP; meredith.com) announced today it has completed its acquisition of Time Inc., and that February 1, 2018, will be the first day of operations for the combined…

The Bon-Ton Stores, Inc. (OTCQX:BONT) (“the Company”), today announced the 42 locations that will be closed as part of its previously communicated store rationalization program. The closing stores will include…

UPS (NYSE:UPS) today announced fourth quarter 2017 earnings.  “We achieved our 2017 adjusted earnings-per-share target through exceptionally strong revenue and yield growth, coupled with benefits from our network investments and…

Shutterfly (NASDAQ: SFLY), the leading online retailer and manufacturer of high-quality personalized products and services, and Lifetouch, the national leader in school photography, today announced a definitive agreement for Shutterfly…

Shutterfly, Inc. (NASDAQ:SFLY), the leading online retailer and manufacturer of high-quality personalized products and services, today announced financial results for the fourth quarter and full year ended December 31, 2017.…

1-800-FLOWERS.COM, Inc. (NASDAQ: FLWS), a leading gourmet food and floral gift provider for all occasions, today reported results for its fiscal 2018 second quarter. Chris McCann, CEO of 1-800-FLOWERS.COM, said,…

Print is anything but dead at Hoffman Media. The Birmingham, Alabama-based publisher of 11 Southern-focused special interest magazines—several of which boast nationwide print audiences numbering in the hundreds of thousands—has…

• Total revenue of $2.7 billion, up 0.5 percent or down 2.0 percent in constant currency year-over-year • Equipment sale revenue up 4.3 percent or 1.5 percent in constant currency…

Meredith Corp. is welcoming more change today, naming Tom Harty its new chief executive officer, replacing Steve Lacy who will shift to executive chairman. The news comes as the Des…

FedEx Corporation is announcing three major programs today following the recently enacted U.S. Tax Cuts and Jobs Act: 1) Over $200 million in increased compensation, about two-thirds of which will…

Stein Mart, Inc. (NASDAQ:SMRT) today announced that a Special Committee appointed by its Board of Directors, together with management, have assembled a team to explore all opportunities to improve operating…

Meredith Corporation (NYSE: MDP; www.meredith.com) announced that it has extended its previously announced tender offer to purchase all of the outstanding shares of common stock of Time Inc. (NYSE: TIME)…

Broadband companies that want to do business with state agencies in New York will have to abide by some key net neutrality rules, under an order signed Wednesday by New…

When sales of Fire and Fury were heating up in the first seek of January, Holt was scrambling to meet soaring demand for Michael Wolff’s White House tell-all. John Sargent,…

Barnes & Noble, Inc. (NYSE: BKS), the world’s largest retail bookseller, today announced the launch of Barnes & Noble Press, an enhanced and more user-friendly version of Barnes & Noble’s…

Discover Financial Services (NYSE: DFS) today reported net income of $387 million or $0.99 per diluted share for the fourth quarter of 2017, as compared to $563 million or $1.40…

Discover today announced plans to raise its minimum hourly pay rate to $15.25 for virtually all of its full-time U.S. employees as a result of the recent corporate tax reductions…

Today, The Home Depot® announced plans to provide a new one-time cash bonus for U.S. hourly associates of up to $1,000 in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2017.  The bonus…

Grainger (NYSE: GWW) today reported results for the year ended Dec. 31, 2017.  Sales of $10.4 billion were up 3 percent versus $10.1 billion in 2016.  Reported net earnings of…

Sun Chemical and its parent company, DIC Corporation, have acquired C.T.LAY S.R.L. Based in Modena, Italy, C.T.LAY is a global leader in pre-laid overlays, pre-patched holograms, and, through its joint-venture…

Kohl’s (NYSE: KSS) today announced 28 local non-profits as recipients of a combined $500,000 in grants through Kohl’s new Hometown Giving Program. The organizations will use the funding for programs…

The Federation of European Publishers (FEP) released its latest statistical report, which covers 2016 and aggregates data from 29 national associations across Europe. The report indicates that total annual sales…

An Instagram post from 57th Street Books in Chicago, showing the store’s window display featuring ‘Fire and Fury.’ Henry Holt’s efforts to rush more copies of Fire and Fury to…

Bonnier Corp., the Swedish-owned publisher of special-interest magazines like Field & Stream and Popular Science, has laid off 70 employees from its U.S. operation and will shutter the print editions of five titles, a spokeswoman confirmed to Folio: on Wednesday. Motorcycle titles Baggers and Dirt Rider, as well as the water sports magazines Sport Diver, Wakeboarding, and WaterSki will cease in print and continue as digital-only brands, although those titles are far from the only areas of the company affected. Click Read More below for additional information.

Unit sales of print books fell 4% in 2017 compared to 2016 in Canada, while dollar sales dropped 3%, according to figures compiled by BookNet Canada’s sales tracking service. BookNet reported that the Canadian book industry sold approximately 51.5 million copies in 2017, for just over C$1 billion. Figures are based on a group of retailers that provide sales data to BookNet annually and account for about 85% of print sales. Click Read More below for additional information.

Meredith Corporation announced that early termination of the waiting period has been granted under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvement Act of 1976 applicable to its acquisition of Time Inc. As a result, Meredith plans to complete the transaction – first announced on November 26, 2017 – within the next 30 days, subject to satisfaction of the other terms and conditions of the tender offer. Meredith also announced that it intends to offer, subject to market and other customary conditions, up to $1.4 billion in aggregate principal of new senior unsecured 8-year notes (the "Notes"). Meredith intends to use the net proceeds of the proposed offering to fund a portion of its proposed acquisition of Time Inc.; to repay existing Meredith and Time Inc. indebtedness and credit facilities; and pay other fees and expenses related to Meredith's acquisition of Time Inc. and the related refinancing. Click Read More below for additional information.

Amid extreme weather and tight capacity, national average spot truckload rates saw double-digit increases during the week ending Jan. 6, according to DAT Solutions, which operates the DAT network of load boards. The number of available loads increased 27%, in line with expectations when a full workweek follows a holiday-shortened one. However, the number of trucks posted to DAT load boards was up just 7.4% and the imbalance pushed load-to-truck ratios up for all three equipment types. In the van market, load posts jumped 26% but truck posts were up only 6%, as many truckers were still taking time off. The national average van rate was $2.30/mile, up 19 cents compared to the previous week. Click Read More below for additional information.

Sam’s Club, a division of Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. announced changes to the business unit’s U.S. real estate portfolio, with the closure of 63 clubs around the country. The company will convert up to 12 of the impacted clubs to eCommerce fulfillment centers in a move that will speed delivery of online orders, with the balance of the facilities closing over the next few weeks. Currently, Walmart and Sam’s Club operate more than 5,400 locations across the U.S.; after the actions announced today the company will have 597 clubs. The action was taken after a thorough performance review. “Transforming our business means managing our real estate portfolio and Walmart needs a strong fleet of Sam’s Clubs that are fit for the future,” said John Furner, president and CEO of Sam’s Club. “We know this is difficult news for our associates and we are working to place as many of them as possible at nearby locations. Our focus today has been on those associates and their communities, and communicating with them.” Sam’s Club Shares Changes to Club Fleet

Meredith Corporation announced that it has extended its previously announced tender offer to purchase all of the outstanding shares of common stock of Time Inc. for $18.50 per share in an all-cash transaction valued at $2.8 billion. The Offer will now expire one minute after 11:59 p.m. (Eastern Time) on January 25, 2018, per terms of the merger agreement, unless further extended. All other terms and conditions of the Offer remain unchanged. Computershare Trust Company, N.A., the depository for the Offer, has advised Meredith that as of the close of business (Eastern Time) on January 10, 2018, approximately 59,024,324 shares of common stock of Time (not including 4,812,404 shares tendered by notice of guaranteed delivery for which shares have not yet been delivered) have been validly tendered and not properly withdrawn pursuant to the Offer, representing approximately 58.7% of the outstanding shares of common stock of Time. Click Read More below for additional information.

Bertelsmann has further expanded its global network of start-up investments. Last year, the international media, services and education group made more than 70 investments worldwide, through the funds bundled in its Bertelsmann Investments division. At the same time, the company completed a number of exits, and profits from the disposal of these investments – most notably by the Bertelsmann Asia Investments (BAI) fund in China – made an appreciable contribution to Group net income. Overall, at the end of the year Bertelsmann had holdings in more than 160 innovative start-ups and investment funds. Thomas Rabe, Chairman and CEO of Bertelsmann, said: “Investments in young digital companies with innovative business models play an important role in the implementation of our strategy. With these investments, we ensure the transfer of knowledge, about digital trends that support us in the transformation, as well as about promising markets. We have massively expanded our network of start-up holdings in recent years, especially in our strategic growth regions of China, India and Brazil, and have repeatedly demonstrated that we are an ideal partner for innovative founders who want to expand their activities.” Click Read More below for additional information.

Customers that couldn't get a physical copy of Michael Wolff's Fire and Fury were in good company. According to figures from NPD BookScan, the hottest book of the year sold 28,567 print copies in the three days it was available for sale last week (ended January 7). BookScan covers 80- 85% of all print sales, excluding those through libraries. Although the figure is surprisingly low for a book that has captured the attention of the media and the President in such striking fashion, that number was still enough to make the White House tell-all the top-selling title in the country last week. John Sargent, CEO of Holt parent company Macmillan, told the Wall Street Journal that Fire and Fury had a 150,000-copy first printing. The discrepancy between the announced first printing and last week's sales is likely, in part, the result of Holt moving the book's publication date up, from January 9 to January 5. Shipments of the book that were timed to hit stores early this week may have been on the road over the weekend. Click Read More below for additional information.

While the digital revolution is changing the way people learn, work, pay and play, print is still a preferred choice for many aspects of American life. New research shows that the perception of information credibility increases with print, and that people find reading on paper more enjoyable than reading on digital devices. In 2017, Two Sides North America commissioned a survey of more than 2,000 adults in the United States to find out how print and paper are viewed in a digital world. Two Sides is an independent nonprofit organization created to promote the sustainability of print and paper. Its members, including Domtar, span the print and paper value chain, including forestry, pulp, paper, inks and chemicals, pre-press, press, finishing, publishing, printing, envelopes and postal operators. Phil Riebel, president of Two Sides North America, spoke about the survey’s key findings and explored how digital and print play complementary roles in the ways consumers live. Click Read More below for additional information.

Meredith Corporation is pleased to announce the launch of Hungry Girl magazine. The spring issue will be on newsstands January 16th and carry a $9.99 cover price. This magazine was created under the vision of Lisa Lillien, the creator of the Hungry Girl brand and founder of hungry-girl.com. Lillien, a leader in the better-for-you food space, is the author of twelve bestselling cookbooks, six of which debuted at #1 on the New York Times Best Sellers list. Nearly 3 million email subscribers and social media followers eagerly await Hungry Girl's recipes, food finds, and tips & tricks each weekday. Click Read More below for additional information.

Nordstrom, Inc. announced an increase in its net sales of 2.5 percent and an increase in comparable sales of 1.2 percent for the nine weeks ended December 30, 2017, compared with the same period last year. This reflected an improvement in Nordstrom full-line and Nordstrom Rack stores relative to year-to-date sales trends and continued growth in e-commerce at Nordstrom.com and Nordstromrack.com/HauteLook. In the Nordstrom brand, including U.S. and Canada full-line stores and Nordstrom.com, net sales when combined with Trunk Club, increased 0.7 percent and comparable sales increased 1.0 percent. In the Nordstrom Rack brand, which consists of Nordstrom Rack stores and Nordstromrack.com/HauteLook, net sales increased 8.2 percent and comparable sales increased 2.9 percent. Click Read More below for additional information.

In a dramatic changing of the guard at the niche magazine publisher, F+W Media has dismissed its CEO, COO, and CTO, Folio: has learned. The company’s board of directors revealed Monday its decision to part ways with CEO Tom Beusse, COO Joe Seibert, and CTO Joe Romello, installing Greg Osberg, CEO of media consulting firm Revlyst, as F+W’s interim CEO while a replacement is sought. After determining that a change was needed, Osberg tells Folio:, ownership decided to bring him on—as well as a team of consultants from business advisory firm FTI Consulting—in a move that’s less an indictment of existing management’s strategic plan, but rather indicative of a desire to expedite the company’s necessary transformation. Click Read More below for additional information.

Hearst announced today that it has completed its transaction with Rodale to acquire the company’s global health and wellness brands. In addition to the U.S. editions and digital expressions, the newly-acquired brands publish 62 print editions and 57 websites in 31 countries. The acquisition adds complementary health and wellness titles to Hearst’s diversified portfolio of magazine brands, encompassing 20 titles in the U.S. and nearly 300 editions and websites around the world. The announcement was made by Hearst President and CEO Steven R. Swartz and Hearst Magazines President David Carey. Terms were not disclosed. Concurrent with the close, Penguin Random House purchased the assets of Rodale Books.

After completing its purchase of Rodale Inc. last week, the Hearst Corp., which announced the deal in October, quickly turned around and sold Rodale's trade book publishing assets to Penguin Random House. Terms of the acquisition, which involves more than 2,000 backlist titles and 100 frontlist books, were not disclosed. With the purchase, Rodale Books’ adult nonfiction titles will be released under the Rodale Books imprint. It will become part of the Crown Publishing Group, and will be an imprint of its Illustrated and Lifestyle division, comprised of the Harmony, Ten Speed Press, and Clarkson Potter publishing programs, overseen by Aaron Wehner, senior v-p of the unit’s imprints. Diana Baroni, v-p and editorial director of Harmony Books, will oversee Rodale Books. Click Read More below for additional information.

Barnes & Noble, Inc. announced that it collected approximately 1.6 million books during its 2017 Holiday Book Drive program. The books are being donated to more than 650 local charities across the country that provide services to children. The donation was made possible through the generous support of Barnes & Noble customers, who purchased books for donation at Barnes & Noble bookstores nationwide between November 1, 2017, and January 1, 2018. Community partners are distributing the books collected to hospitals, schools, literacy organizations and social service organizations. Click Read More below for additional information.

Target Corporation announced that its comparable sales in the combined November/December period grew 3.4 percent, compared with the expected range of 0 to 2 percent. Comparable sales across all of the Company's core merchandise categories – Home, Apparel, Food & Beverage, Hardlines and Essentials – were positive and accelerated from the third quarter, reflecting strong traffic growth, positive store comps and continued strength in digital sales. Target now expects 2017 will be the fourth consecutive year in which its digital sales grow more than 25 percent. Click Read More below for additional information.

Intense demand for the book has caught its publisher, Henry Holt, off guard as the Macmillan imprint scrambles to get copies into the marketplace. Gauging a book's traction in the marketplace and setting its print run is, arguably, one of the trickiest aspects of the publishing process. And Holt, in this instance, got it very wrong. Fire and Fury, which became a hot commodity last week after bombshell comments it contained from former (and current) White House staffers were released early by the media, is currently out-of-stock at the major chains, Amazon and independent bookstores. It's available in limited supply at most libraries. Amazon said in a statement that "due to a last-minute change in the release date [of the book] and heightened interest, we are working with the publisher to fulfill print book orders as quickly as possible." The book is currently #1 in all major formats at the retailer (print, e-book and audio), with Amazon estimating it could be as much as two to four weeks before it can ship copies. Click Read More below for additional information.

Kevin Mansell, Kohl's chairman, chief executive officer and president, said, “We are very pleased with our Holiday period sales, which were consistently strong through November and December. All lines of business and all regions reported positive comp sales. As expected, growth in digital demand accelerated significantly in the Holiday period from the year-to-date trend. In addition, we experienced positive sales in our stores driven by stronger traffic. I’d like to thank every Kohl’s associate across the organization for their commitment to delivering an outstanding Holiday experience for our customers.” Based on stronger than expected Holiday sales and expectations for fiscal January, the Company now expects its fiscal 2017 diluted earnings per share to be $4.10 to $4.20 versus its previous guidance of $3.72 to $3.92. Excluding the Company's previously disclosed fourth quarter tax settlement of $30 million, diluted earnings per share is expected to be $3.98 to $4.08, compared to its prior guidance of $3.60 to $3.80.

Chico's FAS, Inc. announced that the Company is updating its outlook for the fiscal 2017 fourth quarter ending February 3, 2018. Based on results to date, the Company anticipates fourth quarter total comparable sales in the negative 5% to negative 7% range, an improvement on its previous outlook of negative high single-digits. As previously announced, approximately $30 million in sales from the 53rd week of fiscal 2017 are not included in the comparable sales calculation for the Company's outlook. Click Read More below for additional information.

The Bon-Ton Stores, Inc. announced that its comparable store sales for the nine-week holiday period ended December 30, 2017 decreased 2.9%. Total sales for the nine-week November and December period were $720.8 million compared to sales of $752.1 million in the prior year period. The Company's best performing categories over the period were Cosmetics, Children's, Outerwear and Fine Jewelry. Bill Tracy, president and chief executive officer for The Bon-Ton Stores, Inc. said, "The Company's holiday period comparable store sales decrease of 2.9% is an improvement from the comparable store sales decrease of 6.6% reported in the third quarter. We are actively engaged in discussions with our debt holders in an effort to strengthen our capital structure to support the business going forward."

Midland Paper, Packaging & Supplies, a $1 Billion wholesale distribution company based in Chicago, IL, announced this week that Stan Hooker, the company’s long-time Chairman & CEO, has retired and sold his majority interest to his three partners, Ralph DeLetto, Mike Graves, and Jim O’Toole. This transition allows the company to continue its long tradition of being the leading independent paper and packaging distribution company in North America. Mr. Hooker said: “The timing of this transition is good for me personally, as my wife and I can devote more time to being with our friends and family, and the timing is good for Midland given the company’s strong financial position and its proven senior leadership team at the helm”. Mike Graves, the company's President and COO, will assume the role of CEO. Mr. Graves noted: “we are grateful to Stan for his longstanding leadership at Midland, and we look forward to continuing Midland’s legacy as an entrepreneurial, independent organization that strives to be the first choice for suppliers and customers alike”.

Pre®Brands, purveyors of the world's best grass-fed beef, has launched an e-commerce store to sell its premium, hand-trimmed 100% grass-fed and finished steaks and ground beef to eager consumers across America. Pre®prides itself in maintaining the highest quality standards for all of its products, in order to bring discerning shoppers the best beef nature provides. And consumers have noticed – since its start in 2015, Pre®has been America's fastest growing beef brand*. Two years later, Pre®'s expanding in-store retail presence, largely in the Midwest, hasn't kept up with burgeoning national consumer demand – a need e-commerce will help meet. Pre® can now be purchased online at www.eatpre.com. Click Read More below for additional information.

Barnes & Noble, Inc. reported holiday sales for the nine-week holiday period ending December 30, 2017. Total sales for the holiday period were $953 million, declining 6.4% as compared to the prior year. Comparable store sales also declined 6.4% for the holiday period, while online sales declined 4.5%. Entering December, the Company was encouraged by the comparable store sales improvements throughout the second quarter and into November. Click Read More below for additional information.

Unit sales of print books rose 1.9% in 2017, over 2016, at outlets that report to NDP BookScan, which captures between 80-85% of print sales. Total units sold at outlets that report to the service were 687.2 million, up from 674.1 million in 2016. The increase follows a 3.3% increase in 2016 over 2015 with units having risen every year since 2013. Since 2013, print unit sales are up 10.8%. The unit gain was driven by the retail and club channel, where sales rose 3.5% in 2017 over 2016. Units in the channel hit 593.7 million units, compared to 573.8 million units sold in 2016. Sales via the mass merchandisers channel fell 6.7% in the year, dropping to 93.6 million units, down from 100.4 million units in 2016. Click Read More below for additional information.

L Brands, Inc. reported net sales of $2.516 billion for the five weeks ended Dec. 30, 2017, an increase of 3 percent, compared to net sales of $2.438 billion for the five weeks ended Dec. 31, 2016. Comparable sales increased 1 percent for the five weeks ended Dec. 30, 2017. The company reported net sales of $11.592 billion for the 48 weeks ended Dec. 30, 2017, compared to net sales of $11.769 billion for the 48 weeks ended Dec. 31, 2016. Comparable sales decreased 4 percent for the 48 weeks ended Dec. 30, 2017. For the 48 weeks ended Dec. 30, 2017, the exit of the swim and apparel categories had a negative impact of about 3 percentage points and 5 percentage points to total company and Victoria’s Secret comparable sales, respectively. Click Read More below for additional information.

J. C. Penney Company, Inc. announced that its comparable store sales for the combined nine-week period ending December 30, 2017 increased 3.4 % over the same period last year. The Company also reaffirmed all components of its most recent full-year financial guidance for fiscal 2017. "We are very encouraged with our overall comp sales performance during the holiday season, which was led by home, beauty and fine jewelry. Additionally, our apparel categories continue to demonstrate improved comp performance, particularly in women's and kids. We are also pleased by our e-commerce business that continues to outpace prior year results with double-digit sales growth, largely driven by sought-after gifting categories such as fine jewelry, home decor and luggage, toys, boots and athletic footwear. Our ability to execute e-commerce fulfillment from 100% of our brick and mortar stores helped fuel the growth in e-commerce for the holiday season. We remain confident that our strategic initiatives are taking hold and resonating with customers," said Marvin R. Ellison, chairman and chief executive officer of JCPenney. Click Read More below for additional information.

Costco Wholesale Corporation reported net sales of $14.94 billion for the month of December, the five weeks ended December 31, 2017, an increase of 14.3 percent from $13.07 billion during the similar period last year. For the first 17 weeks of fiscal year 2018 ended December 31, 2017, the Company reported net sales of $46.06 billion, an increase of 11.9 percent from $41.18 billion reported during the similar period last year. Click Read More below for additional information.

Time Inc. has officially sold Essence—the magazine as well as its website and events business—to a group of investors led by Shea Moisture founder Richelieu Dennis, the latter announced today. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but the buyer confirmed that Essence president Michelle Ebanks will continue at the helm and will gain an equity stake in the business. Click Read More below for additional information.

Revenues from continuing operations for the quarter were $5.4 billion compared to revenues from continuing operations of $5.7 billion in the prior year's third quarter, a decrease of $315.9 million or 5.6 percent. Retail Pharmacy Segment revenues were $4.0 billion and decreased 3.0 percent compared to the prior year period primarily as a result of a decrease in same store sales and reimbursement rates. Revenues in the company's Pharmacy Services Segment were $1.4 billion and decreased 12.2 percent compared to the prior year period, due to an election to participate in fewer Medicare Part D regions and a decline in commercial business. Same store sales from continuing operations for the quarter decreased 2.5 percent from the prior year, consisting of a 3.5 percent decrease in pharmacy sales and a 0.5 percent decrease in front-end sales. Pharmacy sales included an approximate 198 basis point negative impact from new generic introductions. The number of prescriptions filled in same stores, adjusted to 30-day equivalents, decreased 2.4 percent from the prior year period due in part to exclusion from certain pharmacy networks that Rite Aid participated in the prior year. Prescription sales from continuing operations accounted for 66.5 percent of total drugstore sales. Net loss from continuing operations was $18.2 million or $0.02 per diluted share compared to last year's third quarter net income from continuing operations of $23.6 million or $0.02 per diluted share. The decline in operating results was due primarily to a decline in Adjusted EBITDA, partially offset by a higher income tax benefit. Click Read More below for additional information.

Fiscal 2018 first quarter net earnings attributable to Walgreens Boots Alliance determined in accordance with GAAP decreased 22.1 percent to $821 million compared with the same quarter a year ago, while GAAP diluted net earnings per share decreased 16.5 percent to $0.81 compared with the same quarter a year ago. The decreases in GAAP net earnings and GAAP net earnings per share were mainly due to impairment of the company's equity method investment in Guangzhou Pharmaceuticals. In addition, these decreases reflect a loss from the company's equity earnings in AmerisourceBergen and benefits from the UK tax rate reduction recorded in the same quarter a year ago. Sales in the first quarter were $30.7 billion, an increase of 7.9 percent from the year-ago quarter, and an increase of 7.2 percent on a constant currency basis. Click Read More below for additional information.

"Macy's had a solid holiday shopping season, and we are pleased that our November/December performance resulted in positive comp sales for the period, setting us up for a positive fourth quarter. Consumers were ready to spend this season, and we delivered with solid execution, fresher inventory, a curated gift assortment and a focus on customer experience. We saw improved sales trends in our stores and continued to see double-digit growth on our digital platforms. Customers also responded well to our new loyalty program," said Jeff Gennette, Macy's, Inc. chief executive officer. "We intend to close the fourth quarter in a good position and head into 2018 with momentum." Macy's, Inc. saw improved holiday sales across Macy's, Macy's Backstage, Bloomingdale's, Bloomingdale's The Outlet and Bluemercury, with exclusive gifts showing strong performance. Active apparel, shoes, dresses, coats, fine jewelry, men's tailored clothing, children's and home were all top performers. Beauty was also a highlight and showed a marked improvement in trend, with particular strength in fragrance, prestige skincare and cosmetic gifting. Click Read More below for additional information.

The American Catalog Mailers Association, Inc. filed a lawsuit against the Ohio Department of Taxation, seeking to declare unconstitutional a new state law that improperly expands the Department's jurisdiction beyond the state's borders in clear violation of existing U.S. Supreme Court precedent. The ACMA intends to demonstrate that Ohio’s software “cookie” nexus standard for sales/use tax is in direct contravention of the extraterritorial limits on state tax authority under Quill v. North Dakota. The state is claiming that the mere presence of electrons placed on an Ohio computer pierces the longstanding "physical presence" test under Quill and subjects remote sellers to sales tax collection and other compliance obligations. “This is an egregious assault on out of state companies seeking to sell to Ohio residents and effectively presents a barrier to interstate commerce that cannot be left unchallenged,” said ACMA President Hamilton Davison. “We have no doubt the Ohio judiciary, in light of the well-established national precedent created by the highest court in the land, will overturn this illegal new law.” ACMA has filed this action just before the law’s January 1, 2018 effective date. Click Read More below for additional information.

Amazon announced its Best of Prime 2017 – revealing some of the Prime member favorites of the year. Built on a foundation of fast, free delivery, more than five billion items worldwide shipped with Prime in 2017, including free same-day, one-day, and two-day shipping. Prime is designed to make members’ lives easier and more fun with a unique combination of shipping, shopping and entertainment. Prime members used their digital benefits in 2017 more than in any previous year - putting The Grand Tour on Prime Video, “Believer” by Imagine Dragons on Prime Music and The Handmaid’s Tale on Prime Reading on the U.S. ‘best of’ list for 2017. Find Amazon’s Best of Prime 2017 on Prime Insider. Click Read More below for additional information.

Hearst achieved record profits for the seventh straight year, as our efforts to build and acquire great companies in the business data and software sector helped overcome a tough year for many of our consumer media franchises. Our biggest majority-owned business, Fitch Group, led the way with an outstanding performance across the world, particularly in its core bond ratings business. 2017 was another great year to be a consumer of media products but less so to be a provider of that content. While platform companies like Google, Facebook, Amazon and Netflix thrived through their dominance of advertising and ecommerce channels, many individual media brands struggled to get their share of the advertising pie and consumers bought fewer television bundles or magazine subscriptions. In magazines, led by President David Carey and Publishing Director Michael Clinton, our world class digital operation made significant gains in 2017, and some of the newer magazines we have launched over the past 10 years, namely Food Network Magazine and HGTV Magazine, are among our best editorial products and most profitable titles. Still, the magazine business needs more change. With respect to many of our titles, we need the readers to pay more for the product. And we need to find a way to make digital subscription products work for magazines in the way that they are starting to work for newspapers. Near the end of 2017 we agreed to acquire Rodale’s magazine business, with such well-established titles as Men’s Health, Women’s Health and Prevention. The addition of these titles will give our magazine business a shot in the arm and some new talent to help in our efforts to keep innovating and experimenting as we reset the business model for the future. Click Read More below for additional information.

Last year JK Rowling reclaimed the No 1 spot in the bestseller charts by returning from mundane reality to the Potterverse (with the Harry Potter and the Cursed Child playscript); and before that EL James topped the 2015 charts by revisiting the Fifty Shades world from Christian’s perspective. In 2017 it was Jamie Oliver’s turn to play the comeback champion, after managing a best position of only 40th a year ago and being described in (ahem) the 2016 bestsellers analysis piece as “apparently fading”. Mysteriously revitalised (surely there’s more to it than Channel 4 restoring him to peak-time after marooning him in the afternoon?), Oliver leads a markedly blokey top 10 dominated by recurring figures, with two David Walliams titles joined by books from Dan Brown, Lee Child, Jeff Kinney and Guinness World Records. Click Read More below for additional information.

Mr. Magazine — or Sami A. Husni, the director of the Magazine Innovation Center at the University of Mississippi, School of Journalism and a renowned magazine expert — has selected the 20 “hottest” magazine launches of 2017. In February, the annual list will be whittled down to one — and that magazine will win “The Launch of the Year” at the American Magazine Media Conference hosted by MPA: The Association of Magazine Media. Between October 2016 and December 2017, Mr. Magazine counts 201 new magazine brands that launched with a regular publishing frequency. Click Read More below for additional information.

While holiday unit sales of print books got off to a slow start Thanksgiving weekend, they ended on a strong note. Print unit sales increased 7% in the week ended Dec. 24, 2017, over the comparable week in 2016 at outlets that report to NPD BookScan. The gain was driven by the retail and club channel, where unit sales were 8% higher than the week ended Dec. 25, 2016. Sales through mass merchandisers fell 2% in the week compared to 2016. Juvenile nonfiction had the strongest gain among the major book segments, with units up 19% over 2016. Rob Elliott’s Laugh-Out-Loud Jokes for Kids was #1 on the category bestseller list, selling more than 33,000 copies. Star Wars: The Last Jedi: The Visual Dictionary by Pablo Hidalgo moved up the list in the week, selling almost 25,000 copies, which put it in fourth place on the segment bestseller list. Click Read More below for additional information.

Unit sales of print books rose 3% in the week ended December 17, 2017, over the comparable period in 2016, at outlets that report to NPD BookScan. Last week was the first week that print unit sales were up over the comparable week in 2016 since the holiday selling season began during Thanksgiving week. The retail and club channel, which includes all bookstores plus Amazon, had a 5% increase in sales over the week ended December 18, 201, and with two weeks left to go in 2017, sales through that channel were up 3%. The mass merchandiser channel, however, continued to trend downward compared to last year. Last week, unit sales to mass merchandisers were down 9% compared to the similar week in 2016, and for the year to date, sales fell 8%. Click Read More below for additional information.

There’s a question that’s been asked since the early beginnings of digital communication over 30 years ago. That question has been the focus of many debates, discussions, articles and research papers, as well as arguments between billions of parents and their children all over the world. It’s preoccupied governments, academics, companies, organisations and brands, and will continue to do so for a long time to come. The question is simple: Is digital harming our health? The amount of digital information that’s being created, consumed and shared every day is staggering. In just one minute of an average day, Google receives over 4,000,000 search queries, YouTube users upload 72 hours of new video, Facebook users share 2,460,000 pieces of content, and Apple users download 48,000 apps. By the time you will have finished reading this article, those numbers will have increased further. All this content consumption brings with it a host of potential health issues for the user. Anxiety, depression, addiction, isolation, narcissism, all are becoming more and more common, particularly amongst the young. Click Read More below for additional information.

Rolling Stone, the magazine Jann Wenner started 50 years ago with a $7,500 loan from his family, closed a deal with Penske Media Corporation, sending Wenner Media's value to $100 million and giving PMC a controlling interest in the company. Wenner Media was previously valued at $50 million. The investment from PMC is within that same range, giving them a 51% stake. It is reported to rival what it paid for Fairchild's stable of titles in 2014. After rumors circled that PMC was the frontrunner in the bid for Wenner Media, the corporation closed the deal yesterday afternoon. Click Read More below for additional information.

Informed Delivery users can now view images of their household’s incoming mail and manage their package deliveries, the Postal Service announced today. More than seven million Informed Delivery users who opt-in to receive email notifications can now view their mail in their daily digest emails and also see tracking information about the expected delivery of their packages. Also, users are able to track package deliveries, leave delivery instructions and schedule redelivery from the online Informed Delivery dashboard. Click Read More below for additional information.

Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. announces that it has entered into an agreement to reduce its stake in Guangzhou Pharmaceuticals Corporation, a pharmaceutical wholesaling joint venture in China, following an offer from its joint venture partner Guangzhou Baiyunshan Pharmaceutical Holdings Co. Ltd. Subject to regulatory review and approval and other customary closing conditions, Walgreens Boots Alliance will sell a 30% interest in Guangzhou Pharmaceuticals Corporation to Guangzhou Baiyunshan Pharmaceutical Holdings that, following the proposed sale, would own 80%. Upon completion, Walgreens Boots Alliance will own a 20% interest in Guangzhou Pharmaceuticals Corporation and will continue to account for its remaining stake as an equity method investment.

As an American friend said to me recently: “if you ain’t growing, you are shrinking”, and having given that rather asinine statement a decent amount of thought, I think that they may be right… In recent weeks, we have witnessed Time and Rolling Stone magazines change hands and getting new chunks of money, and today we are announcing that we are creating a new magazine for the European Airline Transavia France. And all of this comes on the back of the fact that we have never had a busier year both in terms of growth and advertisers flocking to our print magazines and digital products. We are all currently being bombarded by “commentators” and “journalists” saying that the print media business is over... but knowing what I know about media and travel media specifically, I think that is both a naïve and a false statement. We are currently seeing an average 3 – 5 % annual growth in passenger numbers across the airline world with some of our partners reporting increases as large as 9%. That more bums on seats and more people/eyeballs for our magazines. Click Read More below for additional information.

In August 2017, Trade publishers’ revenues (sales to bookstores, wholesalers, direct to consumer, online retailers, etc.) increased +1.0% compared to August 2016. For the year-to-date (Jan. – Aug. 2017) revenues were flat at 0.0%. AAP’s StatShot reports Trade Books in the categories of fiction books, non-fiction books and religious presses. The slight revenue increase in August 2017, compared to August 2016, came from growth in Childrens and Young Adult books (up +2.9%) and Religious Presses (up +7.8%). There was a slight decline in revenue in August and a -0.6% year-to-date decline for all tracked categories, which includes: Trade Books, PreK-12 Instructional Materials, Higher Education Course Materials, Professional Publishing, and University Presses. Click Read More below for additional information.

The Home Depot® announced that it has acquired The Company Store, a leading online retailer of textiles and home décor products, from Hanover Direct. The deal closed on December 19 and terms were not disclosed. In addition to its success as an online retailer, The Company Store has strong relationships and industry leading capabilities in the development and sourcing of high quality textiles across bedding, bath, and related categories. Founded in 1911, The Company Store has a rich history of providing products that are highly sought after by customers as they put the finishing touches on a room. Click Read More below for additional information.

Despite Indonesia's pulp and paper industry having experienced ups and downs, affected by challenges from both within and outside the country, one thing that is certain is that the industry's supply chain remains supportive of livelihoods and brings prosperity to communities in surrounding areas. Government data shows that the pulp and paper industry contributes 6.7 percent of national manufacturing industry gross domestic product (GDP) and last year, it contributed US$ 3.9 billion (non-oil export) to the country's exports. As part of this economic benefit, the government data shows that the industry has created jobs for 260 thousands direct jobs and 1.1 million indirect jobs throughout the value chain. The benefits of the industry's presence have also been felt by Sulaiman, who established his own company, Rifky Pratama Sanjaya, which supplies 200 tons of cocopeat per month to Riau Andalan Pulp and Paper (RAPP) – one of the biggest pulp and paper producers in Indonesia that uses technologically advanced and efficient processes. Click Read More below for additional information.

Add another accolade to the trophy case in what has turned out to be a banner year for Mryna Blyth, Bob Love, and co. According to the latest data from market research firm GfK MRI, AARP The Magazine has overtaken People as America’s most-read print magazine. An estimated 38.3 million adults read the magazine over the reporting period—which ran from March to November, 2017—narrowly edging out People, which was read by an estimated 37.9 million adults, according to the data, down from 41.4 million a year ago. Click Read More below for additional information.

The consumer survey, “Print and Paper in a Digital World,” highlights interesting consumer trends on reading preferences and habits related to print vs digital. The recent Toluna survey commissioned by Two Sides showed that 62% of U.S. consumers between the ages of 18 to 55+ preferred to read books in print vs electronic devices, including 63% of the youngest age group (18 to 24 year-olds). Both groups strongly agreed (72-73%) that reading a printed book is more enjoyable than reading a book on an electronic device. Reading magazines showed a difference between the overall consumer response (66%) and the 18 to 24 year-olds (56%) although both still prefer print to digital. When asked if reading a printed magazine is more enjoyable than reading a magazine on an electronic device, the overall response was 73% and the younger group response was 66%. Click Read More below for additional information.

Lawyers for Newegg, Wayfair and Overstock petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court, requesting that it decline to review a South Dakota Supreme Court decision that would require larger online retailers to collect sales tax on purchases made in the state. Online retailers are asking the U.S. Supreme Court to decline review of a case that would require larger e-retailers to collect sales tax from South Dakota residents and pay it to the state. The South Dakota law would require out-of-state retailers that don’t have a physical presence in the state and generate least $100,000 in online sales or more than 200 transactions in the state to collect sales tax from South Dakota customers and then remit those taxes to the state. Click Read More below for additional information.

ModusLink Global Solutions™, Inc. and Steel Partners Holdings announced that ModusLink has completed the acquisition of privately-held IWCO Direct, a leading provider of data-driven direct marketing solutions, for $476 million in cash. Warren Lichtenstein, Executive Chairman of ModusLink, said, “We have been looking to acquire a profitable business with attractive operations and financials, and with a strong management team in order to leverage our approximately $2.1 billion in net operating loss carryforwards (NOLs) and cash. We found a great fit in IWCO Direct. We essentially double the size of our Company and add significant earnings and free cash flow. We add a market leader with industry-leading solutions, a client base consisting of Fortune 500 companies, and significant opportunities to drive both top- and bottom-line results. We intend to aggressively grow IWCO Direct, organically and through acquisitions, and will look to leverage Steel Partners’ vast relationships and resources to drive operational excellence and enhance stakeholder value.” Click Read More below for additional information.

The next generation of British authors could struggle to land a book deal after Brexit, according to the publisher who launched Harry Potter writer JK Rowling’s career. The UK’s close ties with Europe meant British publishers enjoyed a huge financial benefit from exploiting the exclusive English-language rights to books sold across the continent. However, US publishing companies such as Simon & Schuster believe Brexit will open the door to competition and break the cosy historical deals enjoyed by British publishers. Under such a scenario, British publishers will be forced to focus on keeping their star writers happy, potentially offering them more lucrative deals to keep European rights. As a result, financially pressured British publishers are likely to become more risk-averse in signing and promoting new and aspiring authors. Click Read More below for additional information.

At outlets that report to NPD BookScan, unit sales of print books were 4% lower in the week ended Dec. 10, 2017, than in the similar week in 2016. It was the third consecutive week this holiday season that sales were down from last year. The only major segment to post a unit increase in the week was juvenile nonfiction, which had a 5% gain over the week ended Dec. 11, 2016. First 100 Words by Roger Priddy was #1 on the category bestseller list, selling more than 21,000 copies in the week. Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History by Vashti Harrison had a solid debut, selling more than 18,000 copies to land in fourth place on the category bestseller list. Unit sales in the juvenile fiction segment were 3% lower than in the similar week in 2016. Entries in Jeff Kinney’s Diary of a Wimpy Kid series were #1 in both 2016 and 2017; Double Down sold almost 118,000 copies in the week ended Dec. 11, 2016, and The Getaway sold about 107,000 copies in the most recent week in 2017. Click Read More below for additional information.

This week is expected to be the busiest week of the holiday mailing and shipping season for the Postal Service. The organization expects to process and deliver nearly 3 billion pieces of First-Class Mail, including greeting cards this week alone. The Postal Service also expects to deliver nearly 200 million packages each week from Dec. 11-24. The Postal Service anticipates delivering more than 15 billion total pieces of mail this holiday season. Between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day, USPS expects to deliver more than 850 million packages, an increase of more than 10 percent compared to the same period last year. Click Read More below for additional information.

The book manufacturing segment has come a long way since the doom and gloom days five years ago when many people questioned whether the printed book was in death mode due to the rise of ebooks. But, as we head into 2018, the demand for printed books is rising. And, with customer demands driving shorter runs and ultra-fast turnarounds, book printers are rising to the challenge of meeting those demands by continuing to invest in production inkjet and digital imaging technologies. New Disrupter: Amazon’s Turnaround SLAs: “It’s an exciting time to be in the industry,” says John Conley, CEO of Borderland Advisors, and a 42-year book manufacturing industry veteran with stints at RR Donnelley and then Xerox. What he is referring to is a new disrupter in the industry: Amazon same-day delivery, which he points out, will totally change today’s book publishing, manufacturing and distribution markets. Although it is unclear at this point exactly what the Service Level Agreement (SLA) will be, Conley does note that the supply chain requirement will create new profit models and opportunities for both publishers and printers.

Fourth Quarter Fiscal Year 2017 Financial Highlights • Adobe achieved record quarterly revenue of $2.01 billion in its fourth quarter of fiscal year 2017, which represents 25 percent year-over-year growth. • Diluted earnings per share was $1.00 on a GAAP-basis, and $1.26 on a non-GAAP basis. • Digital Media segment revenue was $1.39 billion, with Creative and Document Cloud achieving record quarterly revenue of $1.16 billion and $235 million, respectively. • Digital Media Annualized Recurring Revenue (“ARR”) grew to $5.23 billion exiting the quarter, a quarter-over-quarter increase of $359 million. • Adobe Experience Cloud achieved record revenue of $550 million, which represents 18 percent year-over-year growth. • Operating income grew 37 percent and net income grew 26 percent year-over-year on a GAAP-basis; operating income grew 37 percent and net income grew 39 percent year-over-year on a non-GAAP basis. Click Read More below for additional information.