Finance & Capital Management

Project Owner: RPAI

Company HQ: Oak Brook, Illinois

Project Location: Gaithersburg, Maryland

Project Size: 258,000 sq. ft. of retail space

Project Status: Open and operating

Company Website: www.rpai.com

Company HQ: Cincinnati, Salt Lake City, New York City and Atlanta

Company Website: www.phillipsedison.com

Taking the reins of Toys “R” Us in July 2015, new CEO and chairman David Brandon recognized one of the biggest challenges he faced would be inspiring others to execute his vision of what the company could be. The retailer had gone through a decade of leadership changes, and Brandon was well aware that frequent executive changes, strategic shifts and cost-cutting can cause stress and a lack of trust.

The ongoing quest of Sears Holding Corp. to leverage its vast real estate portfolio helped pave the way for British fast-fashion retailer Primark to enter the United States, giving the import access to space in malls throughout the Northeast.

In late 2014, Primark struck a deal with Sears to lease a total of approximately 520,000 sq. ft. in seven Sears mall-based locations. All the space is expected to be delivered to Primark by the end of 2015.

While mobile payments are increasing, cash receipts still remain a healthy percentage of total sales and aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. Fifth Third Bank’s John Bultema discusses the proper management of cash in retail stores and solutions aimed at improving store efficiency and reducing costs.

What is the current status of cash handling in retail stores? Are cash receipts in stores on the decline?

Some parts of the country are still waiting for economic recovery, but the Northeast is already enjoying a return to financial prosperity.

The Northeastern U.S. offers a consumer base that is better educated and wealthier than that of many other areas. As a result, vacancies in Northeast centers tend to be low, giving landlords leverage in determining rents and tenant mixes.

Company HQ: New York City

Company Website: www.brixmor.com

The convoluted ownership history of Petco has just taken an interesting new turn that cost $4.6 billion.

According to a statement release by Petco, funds affiliated with CVC Capital Partners and the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) entered into a definitive agreement to jointly acquire Petco from a group of investors led by TPG and Leonard Green & Partners for approximately $4.6 billion. The acquisition of the 1,400 store retailer is expected to close in early 2016.