Finance & Capital Management

The Bon-Ton Stores is investing in its growing e-commerce business. The company has signed a lease with Duke Realty Corp for a 743,000-sq.-ft., automated, direct-to-consumer fulfillment center in West Jefferson, Ohio.

The company expects the facility to be fully operational and ship its first orders in spring of 2015.

Washington, D.C. – The National Retail Federation (NRF) calculated retail employment was down 6,700 in February 2014, yet up 205,500 year-over-year. The biggest job losses were seen in electronics and appliance stores, and sporting goods, hobby, book and music stores.

Walmart didn’t mention competitive issues as a source of sales weakness during its fourth quarter, but reports this week from Kroger and Costco indicate they were at least a contributing factor.

Los Angeles — The Lipsey Company has named CBRE Group the top global brand in commercial real estate for the 13th consecutive year.

A training and professional development firm specializing in commercial real estate, Lipsey has surveyed commercial real estate professionals on their perceptions of the industry’s leading brands since 2001. More than 100,000 U.S. and international professionals participated in the 2014 survey. Respondents included property owners, investors, lenders, occupiers, brokers and property managers.

Ongoing weakness at Staples' North American retail division has resulted in the planned closure of 225 units as part of a larger expense savings program and increased emphasis on digital initiatives.

The store closure announcement, part of a larger plan expected to save $500 million by the end of 2015, was announced in conjunction with the release of fourth-quarter results and new insights regarding the company’s online business.

Kearney, Neb. - Michelle Hoffman has been appointed to the position of VP of sales and Kyle L. Hanson has been appointed to the position of VP, general counsel, and corporate secretary at The Buckle Inc., both effective immediately.

The company also made the following changes to its leadership team:

Houston – Stage Stores' fiscal fourth-quarter net income plunged 30%, stung by a charge tied to the sale of its Steele's off-price division and softer revenue. Its adjusted earnings, however, topped analysts' estimates.

Stage Stores announced that it is selling its off-price retail division Steele's to Hilco Global Retail Group in an equity deal.

For the quarter ended Feb. 1, Stage Stores earned $24.9 million, down from $35.8 million in the year-ago period.  

Irvine, Calif. -- Auction.com,  the world’s largest online real estate marketplace, has received a $50 million investment from Google Capital. As part of the investment, one representative from Google Capital will join the company’s board of directors and another will take a board observer position.