Finance & Capital Management

Leading off price retailer Ross Dress for Less has made good on its 2015 growth plans and reaffirmed its long-range targets for existing and newer formats.

On Monday, the company announced the opening of 19 Ross stores and seven dd’s Discounts stores across 14 different states in September and October. The new locations complete the retailer’s 2015 expansion plans to add a total of 90 stores during the year.

Shoe Carnival tapped Jeff Fink as senior VP real estate, effective Oct. 12. He will oversee the company’s store site selection and lease administration functions.

Fink joins Shoe Carnival with over 27 years of experience in the real estate industry focusing on footwear and specialty retail. Most recently, he worked for La-Z-Boy, as VP of real estate.

From 2003 to 2014, Fink worked for Jo-Ann Stores as senior VP, real estate and lease administration where he oversaw the addition of 366 stores totaling 2.8 million retail sq. ft.

Whole Foods Market has made a minority investment in a fast-growing California restaurant chain, according to Nation's Restaurant News.

As part of the deal, Whole Foods plans to test the opening of Mendocino Farms outlets in select market locations, according to the publication.

Staples and Office Depot have agreed to a Federal Trade Commission decision to extend the review period for a possible $6.3 billion merger of the two companies.

The companies announced Monday that the FTC has agreed to issue its decision regarding this transaction by Dec. 8.

Whole Foods Market has made a minority investment in a fast-growing California restaurant chain, according to Nation's Restaurant News.

As part of the deal, Whole Foods plans to test the opening of Mendocino Farms outlets in select Whole Foods store locations, the report said.

After more than two decades in top finance roles at Walmart, Charles Holley, 59, is stepping down as CFO at the world’s largest retailer.

Succeeding Holley will be Brett Biggs, a well-rounded finance executive who joined Walmart in 2000 and has held key roles in each of the retailer’s divisions.

Aeropostale believes its brand is strong enough that shoppers at other retail outlets will want to buy licensed products bearing its name.

The teen specialty retailer and operator of roughly 800 stores signed a domestic licensing agreement for home textiles with Himatsingka America. Terms of the deal call for Himatsingka to design, manufacture and distribute bedding and bath linens using the Aeropostale label for department stores, big-box retailers and wholesale channels across North America.

When Macy’s announced in early September that it planned to close between 35 and 40 underperforming stores, the move certainly made headlines. Unfortunately for Macy’s, it also made sense. Because, as most analysts and industry observers can attest, it only reaffirmed a storyline that has been developing for many years now: department stores are in trouble.