Retail & Celebrity Charity News Week of December 8-14

Carla Bruni-Sarkozy New Global Fund Ambassador

On December 1, World AIDS Day, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy accepted a position as global ambassador for the protection of mothers and children against AIDS with The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. Bruni-Sarkozy will draw attention to the needs of women and children infected with or affected by AIDS/HIV, emphasizing the need to give pregnant women and their children the means to prevent HIV infection and fight the disease.

H&M Enters Israeli Market

European clothing retailer H&M has entered into a franchise agreement with Match Retail and plans to open the first H&M store in Israel in 2010. Match Retail is owned by the Horesh family, which operates many businesses in Israel including Union Motors and Lex Motors, the exclusive local distributors for Toyota and Lexus.

Courtney Cox, Avon Link For New Fragrance

Avon announced that actress Courtney Cox will be the spokesperson for its newest fragrance, Spotlight, which will launch in the U.S. in April 2009. “[T]his fragrance captures that essence — that all women are in the spotlight in their own unique ways and this fragrance highlights the excitement and the exhilaration of that feeling,” said Cox. Cox will be featured in Avon brochures distributed to sales representatives worldwide, and will appear in television and print ads in select markets.

Whole Foods Top Sustainable Seafood Retailer

For the second straight year, Greenpeace recognized Whole Foods Market as the number one retailer in seafood sustainability, citing the company’s new quality standards for aquaculture (farmed seafood) as one of the reasons for the selection. Whole Foods announced plans to continue a program of environmentally responsible practices, seeking also to improve standards for wild-caught species. Whole Foods, the U.S.’s first national certified organic grocer, was also named “America’s Healthiest Grocery Store” by Health magazine in 2008.