Arkansas-based Walmart has opened its first of 39 former Zeller's stores in Canada that the company acquired from its Minneapolis-based retail rival last year, Retailing Today reports. Target is working on plans to launch its first Canadian stores next spring.

Walmart is the second big-box chain to stop selling all Amazon Kindle tablets and e-readers in its stores, Reuters reports. Target booted the electronic devices from its shelves about five months ago.

Employees and customers at the Walmart in Fergus Falls, Minn., were evacuated Saturday night after someone called the store and threatened to injure employees and customers, Fergus Falls Journal reports. Police officials say no one was taken hostage, there were no weapons or threats found and no one was injured.

The first Target store opened in Roseville on May 1, 1962. Fifty years later, the Minneapolis-based discount retailer has nearly 1,800 stores. Walmart, Kmart and Kohl's are also celebrating their 50th anniversary this year.

The Arkansas-based retailer is moving forward with proposals to put a new store on the site of the Cottage View Drive-In movie theater and the former site of Pov’s Sports Bar and Grill in Andover. Meanwhile, Walmart has four new stores already under construction in Brooklyn Center, Blaine, Burnsville and Lakeville.

Minneapolis-based Target is teaming up with Richfield-based Best Buy to test a tech-support program. The Denver Post reports more than two-dozen Target stores in the Denver metro will start featuring Best Buy’s Geek Squad agents this fall. One store in the Twins Cities will also take part in the pilot project. The trained technicians will offer in-store gadget repairs to home-theater delivery and installation.

It appears Target will be among the retailers to kick off the holiday shopping season on Thanksgiving this year, the Pioneer Press reports. The Minneapolis-based discount chain will reportedly open stores at 9 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 22 -- three hours earlier than last year.