Finance & Capital Management

While owners and developers are redeveloping, expanding and beginning to plan new developments across the Northeast, property surpluses created by the recession remain. Where are these surpluses? How will they be disposed of? Chain Store Age asked Andy Graiser, co-president of A&G Realty Partners, to talk about disposition today in the Northeast. Graiser is a property disposition expert with more than 25 years of experience with retail real estate.

Characterize surplus retail real estate in the Northeast.

Boca Raton, Fla. -- Office Depot, formed by the merger of Office Depot and OfficeMax, announced the appointment of Stephen Hare as executive VP and CFO, effective immediately. Hare replaces co-CFO Mike Newman, who has retired from the company, and interim Co-CFO Deb O’Connor, who has returned to her position as senior VP, finance and co-chief accounting officer.
 

Guangzhou, China -- Vipshop Holdings Limited, a Chinese online discount retailer for brands, has appointed Lily Fan as the company's VP of human resources, effective Dec. 2.

New York -- Holiday sales growth is looking up for the nation’s retailers, with much of the lift coming from pent-up demand, according to Moody’s Investors Service. The company’s holiday forecast is the 4.5% to 5.5% range, which is higher than the National Retail Federation’s forecast of 3.9% and the International Council of Shopping Centers’ forecast of 2.0%.

Washington, D.C. -- More consumers plan to spend more than last year, and fewer consumers less than last year, according to the 14th annual holiday spending survey conducted by the Consumer Federation of America (CFA) and the Credit Union National Association (CUNA).  

Irving, Texas -- Zale Corp. narrowed its first-quarter loss slightly and reported its 12th consecutive quarterly sales increase.

Zale reported a net loss of $27. 3 million in the quarter ended Oct. 31, compared to $28.3 million, a year ago. The prior year included a gain of $1.9 million from a settlement.

First-quarter sales increased 1.4% to $363 million, in line with expectations.

Same-store sales rose 4.4%. Zales Jewelers and Zales Outlet stores posted a same-store sales increase of 7.5%.

Woonsocket, R.I. - CVS Caremark has entered into an agreement to acquire Coram LLC, the specialty infusion services and enteral nutrition business unit of Apria Healthcare Group Inc. for approximately $2.1 billion. Coram provides infusion therapies and nutrition services to more than 20,000 patients each month, primarily through home infusion as well as a national network of more than 85 locations, including more than 65 ambulatory infusion suites.

Simi Valley, Calif. — Milan Capital Management has acquired the Smart & Final Center in Simi Valley, Calif., for $16.9 million — $170 per square foot Marcus & Millichap Real Estate Investment Services represented Milan Capital and the seller, who had owned the property for 45 years.