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NEW YORK — Global clothing retailer Uniqlo will become the exclusive, multi-year corporate sponsor of the Museum of Modern Art’s Friday night free admission program, beginning in May. 

The program provides free access to the museum and all exhibitions from 4 to 8 p.m., every Friday, throughout the year, a tremendous value considering the normal admission fee is $25.

NEW YORK and MINNEAPOLIS — Target has teamed up with Fast Company to launch Co.Labs & Target Retail Accelerator, a contest for developers to create a new mobile experience for Target and claim a $75,000 grand prize. Fast Company will chronicle the developers' efforts on its new technology vertical Co.Labs.

Traffic trends at Walmart and other major retailers declined in December even though e-commerce sales set new records in the fourth quarter and throughout 2012.

FRAMINGHAM, Mass. — Staples is bringing its branded products to Japan through a wholesale distribution relationship with Jointex, a leading office products wholesaler and division of Plus Corp., a manufacturer of stationery and office furniture based in Tokyo.

PORTLAND, Maine — CashStar, a leading digital gifting company, has partnered with celebrations site Punchbowl.com, which enables its consumers to embed eGift Cards in their digital greeting cards.

TJX Companies reported a 3% comp increase on top of a prior year gain of 4% while Ross Stores said posted a comp increase of 2% compared to last November’s 5% comp increase.

Total sales at TJX increased 7% to $2.2 billion during the November reporting period and so far this year sales at the company have advanced 10% to $20.3 billion. Total sales for November at Ross increased 6% to $813 million and so far this year are up 11% to nearly $7.8 billion.

Best Buy on Tuesday continued its string of negative same store stores sales, posting a 4% decline at U.S. stores, and recorded a worse than expected profit.

Dollar General’s 10,000 plus locations will be open Thanksgiving Day from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., but it’s not taking the heat for doing so like rivals Walmart and Target.

Dollar General on Monday announced a series of online and in-store promotions, including special opening hours, designed to establish it as a holiday destination for gift givers as opposed to a convenient located stores that sell consumables.

Family Dollar – like Dollar General – is opening stores as fast as it can and this week said it would add 500 new units ahead of what is expected to be an announcement by Walmart next week to accelerate growth of its own small format.

Pricing studies conducted this week by Wall Street analysts yielded familiar results.

Deutsche Bank analyst Charles Grom and Citigroup analyst Deb Weinswig issued reports this week comparing Walmart’s prices to dollar stores and conventional supermarkets and Target.

Morrisville, N.C. -- Lowe’s Cos. Inc. said Monday it has withdrawn its bid to purchase Canadian home-improvement retailer Rona Inc.

The $1.86 billion unsolicited acquisition proposal had earlier been rejected by Quebec-based Rona, which said the offer was not the best deal for its shareholders. The proposal generated discord among Rona’s dealer companies, many of whom threatened to sever their ties with Rona should Lowe’s succeed in its acquisition attempt.

BOCA RATON, Fla. — Sheets, makers of dissolvable energy strips, has partnered with Walmart and Pitbull to launch a local Facebook page contest among local Walmart stores, to offer customers the chance to win a visit by Mr. Worldwide.