Consumer Affairs & Relations

J.C. Penney continues to lower its debt load.    The retailed has sold its sprawling headquarters campus in Plano, Texas, to Dreien Opportunity Partners, general partner of Silos Opportunity Partners, for a gross sale price of $353 million before closing and transaction costs.  

Federal regulators have raised questions over Bass Pro Shops' $4.5 billion deal to acquire Cabela's Inc.    In a regulatory filing Friday, Cabela's said the Federal Trade Commission had requested additional information from both Cabela's and Bass Pro Shops, according to Foxnews.com.   

Initial reports about holiday spending bode well for retailers.      Consumers spent 16% more on holiday purchases this year than in 2015, according to the International Council of Shopping Centers Post-Holiday Shopping Survey.   

A Delaware developer’s plan to create a green space and shopping center in Lewes, Delaware, an idyllic shore town that was the site of the first European settlement in the state, has encountered a new obstacle.   After overcoming opposition by some residents to the commercial re-zoning of 11 acres in this town north of Rehobeth Beach, J.G. Townsend Jr. & Co. now must content with protestors who say that its proposed Gills Neck Village Center would desecrate a Native American burial ground.  

New Seasons Market in Mercer Island, Washington, has gone platinum.    The new supermarket received EPA GreenChill Platinum Certification for its efforts in reducing refrigerant emissions (by at least 95%). The 37,000-sq.-ft. store uses a natural refrigerant solution designed for minimal greenhouse gas emissions and superior energy efficiency.   

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission will rule on the Walgreens Boots Alliance-Rite Aid merger before the Trump Administration takes office on Jan. 20, according to the New York Post. The newspaper added approval of the transaction is “not guaranteed.”   “It is most likely [FTC] Chairwoman Edith Ramirez addresses it before she leaves,” a source close to the situation told the news outlet, and not leave it to a Republican-led FTC.  

Fred’s Inc. is playing defense.   The Memphis-based retailer on Tuesday adopted a shareholder rights plan, or “poison pill,” less than a week after news surfaced that an activist investor had amassed a big stake in the company. It also comes approximately one week after Fred’s announced it had agreed to purchase 865 divested Rite Aid stores as part of the expected Walgreens Boots Alliance-Rite Aid merger. The acquisition would more than double Fred’s store count.   

The Container Store and Southwest Airlines are teaming up to surprise harried holiday travelers passing through airports across the nation.   Starting Thursday, Dec. 22, the partners are easing holiday stress for travelers by offering complimentary gift wrapping. The service is available between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. at the following 10 airports:   • Chicago (Midway) International Airport • Dallas (Love Field)  • Denver International Airport 

Aeropostale, Disney Store, Pacific Sun, and Zumiez joined the growing list of retailers that have stopped using the controversial practice of on-call scheduling for store employees.   

Officials from the city of Troy, Michigan, made the rounds of the New York Deal Making show looking for a partner to help them erect a proposed $350 million town center.