Finance & Capital Management

Nicholas Isasi, Executive Vice President, DM Transportation

As the economy continues to slowly recover, retailers, more than ever, are looking to maximize revenues while controlling costs. Increasingly, many company CFOs and logistics managers are examining an often-overlooked expense that is costing them, in many cases, tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars per year: inbound transportation costs.

Los Angeles — The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf has inked an exclusive deal with developer L.A. Style to expand the coffee and tea retailer into Japan by the end of this year.

L.A. Style is a joint-venture partnership between fast-casual restaurateur Hotland Co. and Japan’s largest shopping mall developer Aeon Mall Co.
The deal ultimately calls for 200 stores across Japan.

Dallas —
 SRS Real Estate Partners has hired Danielle M. O'Hara Murphy as a senior associate in the Orlando office. She will primarily focus on providing tenant representation for national retailers, as well as acquisitions, dispositions, investment properties and landlord representation.

O’Hara Murphy previously worked with CBRE, The Staubach Company and JLL.

Los Angeles — CBRE Group announced that it has acquired CBRE | Louisville, a commercial real estate services firm that has served as CBRE’s affiliate in metropolitan Louisville, Kentucky and southern Indiana since 1996.

The firm has a staff of 34 and manages more than 10 million sq. ft. in the region.

New York -- Uniqlo will make its Midwest debut in fall 2015, opening a flagship in downtown Chicago in fall 2015. The store, located at 830 North Michigan Avenue, will be Uniqlo’s second largest location in the United States, after its Fifth Avenue flagship in New York.

Deerfield, Ill. — Walgreens on Wednesday said it has exercised its option to buy the remaining 55% of European pharmacy retailer and wholesaler Alliance Boots in a $15.26 billion deal that will keep the drug store chain's corporate tax headquarters in the United States. Walgreens said it is not in the best long-term interest of its shareholders to re-domicile outside the United States.

Just under two weeks after Aaron’s posted disappointing second-quarter results, the company is seeking a new CEO. Ronald W. Allen, 72, plans to retire as the company’s CEO and will be stepping down from the board of directors, effective August 31, 2014.

Smith & Wesson has hired Andrew Coccari Jr. to fill the newly created position of SVP of sales and marketing, effective August 11. His appointment follows the announced retirement of Mario Pasantes, SVP of marketing and international sales, scheduled for 2015.

Toys“R”Us has appointed Chetan Bhandari as the company’s SVP, corporate finance and treasurer. He will report to EVP and CFO Mike Short.

Juvenile products manufacturer Bendon, Inc., has entered the premium craft market following a recent acquisition that also creates the potential for expanded distribution.