Finance & Capital Management

Oakbrook Terrace, Ill. — Mid-America Real Estate Corp. has brokered the sale of two centers on behalf of Retail Properties of America.
 
First, Phillips Edison & Company purchased the 134,229-sq.-ft. Duck Creek Plaza in Bettendorf, Iowa, for $19.7 million. Schnucks and Marshalls anchor Duck Creek Plaza, and Home Depot serves as a shadow anchor. Mid-America Real Estate Corp. in cooperation with Mid-America Real Estate — Iowa LLC brokered the transaction exclusively on behalf of RPAI.

Environmental Defense Fund has hired Diane Munns as senior director, smart power collaboration.

Munns joins EDF from MidAmerican Energy Company where she served as VP of regulatory relations and energy efficiency since 2008. She represented the company at national and regional regulatory forums and was responsible for direct management of the energy efficiency group, including strategy, personnel, budget and compliance.

New York — RKF has helped arrange the sale of a 12,250-sq.-ft. property on Manhattan’s Upper East Side at 1151 Third Avenue for $18 million.

RKF Investment Sales & Advisory Services represented the buyer, 1151 Third Avenue LLC, in the transaction. HelmleySpear represented the seller, 201 East 67th Street. The transaction closed in late October.

Atlanta -- Christine Day, the outgoing CEO of Lululemon, has been appointed CEO at Luvo, a start-up frozen-food company that focuses on healthy, low calorie, low sodium meals. Day’s appointment is effective April 1.

Best Buy has elected Cabela's president and CEO Thomas L. Millner to its board of directors.

“Tommy is a well-regarded CEO who has successfully transitioned his organization from a traditional retailer to one that is highly respected as an effective omnichannel player,” said Hatim Tyabji, chairman of the Best Buy board of directors. “Best Buy is on the same journey and Tommy’s insights will, no doubt, be valuable as the Company looks to even better serve its customers wherever and however they want.”

When specialty retail apparel chain Express issued its fourth quarter guidance in early December 2013, it anticipated a promotional holiday season as well as a slowdown in traffic after the Thanksgiving week. What the company encountered, however, was a drop in traffic that was even deeper than expected because consumers waited until much closer to Christmas to shop.

Lululemon planned to start 2014 with a new CEO and flat comparable store sales for the fourth quarter. Despite being on track to hit its numbers, however, a significant dip in traffic and sales in January has prompted the company to cut its fourth quarter forecast.

New York -- Regional discount retailer Fred’s is making some big changes to its merchandising and operations groups to begin 2014 and has retained several firms to review strategic opportunities.