Finance & Capital Management

Dov Charney, founder and outsted CEO of American Apparel, made an emotional—and meandering—plea to regain control of the company at a bankruptcy court hearing in Delaware on Thursday.

“I’m a merchant, I’m a creative artist, I’m a photographer, I’m a marketer, I’m an industrialist,” Charney said, according to the New York Times. “I don’t want to hand over my company. This is coercion.”

RadioShack has lost its CEO after he served only nine months on the job.

Ron Garriques has stepped down as chief executive of the consumer electronics chain in order “to pursue other interest in a role that will put him back closer to his family,”   the retailer said in a statement to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. The company's CFO, Gordon Briscoe,  will serve as interim CEO until a replacement is found.

Ahold USA on Wednesday announced net sales of $26.4 billion for the full year of 2015, an increase of 1.4%.

Ahold USA successfully converted the 25 acquired former A&P stores during the quarter. Identical sales excluding gas were up 1.6%, positively affected by competitor store closures in the New York Metro market. Market share for the fourth quarter and full year increased compared to last year, as the chain added a net 20 stores in 2015 to 788 locations.

On the heels of announcing it would close more than 150 stores in the United States, Walmart says it will open 15 supercenters this month in Canada.

These grand openings bring Walmart Canada's total store count to 400 stores, including 312 supercenters and 88 discount stores. The company says its 15 supercenter projects represent an investment of more than $100 million and have generated approximately 700 new store jobs and 1,450 construction and trade jobs in that nation.

Boston -- The Wilder Companies announced that Shelley M. Anderson has been named director of new business development, a newly created position for the company. Anderson will be responsible for developing retail real estate opportunities to expand the company’s portfolio of open-air centers throughout the eastern portion of the U.S. She will focus on existing center acquisitions, exploring joint venture opportunities with existing owners and growing the company’s burgeoning third-party services business.

Macy’s announced that a Bloomingdale’s store will open in spring 2017 in Kuwait as part of the company’s strategic partnership with Al Tayer Group LLC.

This will be Bloomingdale’s second international location (the first opened in Dubai in 2010) and ahead of Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s stores scheduled to open in Abu Dhabi in 2018 – all in partnership with Al Tayer.

San Antonio, Texas -- InvenTrust Properties Corp. announced that it has acquired Sonterra Village Shopping Center, a newly constructed, 42,492 sq. ft. shopping center located in San Antonio, Texas, for approximately $21.5 million.

Starbucks Corp. reported first quarter earnings and same-store sales that topped expectations. But the coffee giant gave a soft earnings outlook for its current quarter.

Starbucks reported better-than-expected earnings of $687.6 million for the period ended Dec. 27, 2015, down from $983.1 billion a year earlier. The prior-year period was boosted by a hefty $391 million gain related to a joint venture.

Revenue rose 12% to $5.37 billion. Analysts had forecast $5.39 billion in revenue.