Finance & Capital Management

San Francisco  -- Gap Inc. is looking to add a little pink magic to its product design — and is bringing back a company veteran to do it. The retailer has named Wendi Goldman, creator of Victoria’s Secret “Pink” marketing/merchandising campaign, as executive VP of product design and development, effective March 16.

Dublin, Calif. – Costs and expenses did not grow at the same rate as sales during the fourth quarter of fiscal 2014 at Ross Stores Inc., resulting in significant net income growth compared to the prior year period. Ross Stores’ net earnings grew 14% to $248.53 million, from $217.95 million.

Sales climbed 10% to $3.03 billion, from $2.74 billion. Same-store sales rose 6%.

San Antonio, Texas – Net income soared on rising margins in fuel and consumer packaged goods at convenience/fuel retailer CST Brands Inc. in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2014. Net income rose 176% to $94 million from $34 million in the same quarter a year earlier.

Revenues dropped 13% to $2.7 billion from $3.06 billion. For the full fiscal year, net income rose 44% to $200 million from $139 million. Revenues fell 4% to $12.18 billion from $12.78 billion.

Chicago – Charles Talbot, CFO of food service retailer Potbelly Corp., is leaving the company for a position outside the restaurant industry. Talbot will continue to serve as Potbelly's CFO while an external search is underway, until his departure on March 27.

Seattle - Blue Nile, Inc. has added Robert van Schoonenberg to its board of directors, effective Feb. 23. van Schoonenberg is chairman and CEO of BayPoint Capital Partners LLC, a private equity firm, and a co-managing partner of AmeriCap Partners LLC, a growth capital investment firm.

Prior to sale of the company to a strategic investor in June 2010, he was an investor in and served as chairman of Premiere Entertainment LLC, a company in the business of digital broadcast production.

New York -- These are tough times for discount grocery stores — unless the company happens to be the fast-growing Aldi. Pittsburgh-based supermarket operator Giant Eagle plans to close all eight of its Good Cents Grocery + More stores. The closures are set for March 26.

Dublin, Calif. -- dd’s Discounts, a division of Ross Stores, Inc., will open a new store in Waco, Texas. The new store is slated to open Feb. 28 and is located in the Parkdale Shopping Center at North Valley Mills Drive and Bosque Boulevard, 13 miles southwest of Baylor University.  

Texas is the retailer’s second largest state with a total of 32 stores.  Including this new location, dd’s Discounts will operate over 155 locations in 15 states.
 

Chicago -- JLL announced the expansion of its retail team with the addition of Bill Moston. Moston joins JLL as a senior VP, National Retail Development, and brings nearly 30 years of experience to JLL. He will be based out of the firm’s Chicago office.

In his new role, Moston will be responsible for advising JLL’s clients and executing on ground-up retail projects, redevelopments and renovations across the United States, as well as managing anchor store negotiations and tenant coordination.

San Francisco -- Gap Inc. reported stronger-than-expected fourth-quarter results on Thursday, fueled by surging sales at Old Navy and strong online results. But it offered a disappointing profit outlook for 2015 as it feels the impact of the stronger U.S. dollar and West Coast port delays.

Dublin, Calif. -- dd’s Discounts, a division of Ross Stores, Inc., will open a new store in Oxnard, California. The opening date is scheduled for Feb. 28.

The new store is located in Fremont Square along North Ventura Road and Doris Avenue in North Oxnard.

California is the retailer’s largest state with a total of 68 stores.  Including this new location, dd’s Discounts will operate 156 locations in 15 states.