Finance & Capital Management

Washington, D.C. -- The National Retail Federation reported Monday that September retail sales – excluding autos, fuel and restaurants – increased a seasonally adjusted 0.4%, thanks to strong showings from clothing and electronics stores.

Unadjusted, retail sales gained 2.1% year over year.

New York -- Deloitte’s Consumer Spending Index rose in September, aided by a near 11% gain in home prices. The Index tracks consumer cash flow as an indicator of future consumer spending.

Washington, D.C. -- A report released Monday by the Commerce Department showed that retail sales in the U.S. climbed more than anticipated in September, boosted by unexpected increases in household spending.

Sales advanced 1.1% in September, on the heels on a 1.2% increase in August that was the biggest since Oct. 2010. The median forecast of 77 economists surveyed by Bloomberg called for a 0.8% rise in September.

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. —-- Sears Holdings has successfully separated out its Sears Hometown and Outlet Sores businesses.

MONTREAL — Canadian dollar-store chain, Dollarama, has named Richard Roy as an independent director of the corporation. Roy will fill the vacancy created among the board of directors by the resignation of Matthew Levin.

Roy will also sit on the audit committee of the corporation, and Huw Thomas, independent director of Dollarama, will replace Levin on the human resources and compensation committee while remaining a member of the audit committee and the nominating and governance committee of the corporation.

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Kodak is moving forward with its plans to emerge from bankruptcy and said Friday it is ready to discuss reorganization plans with certain key creditor groups.

GOODLETTSVILLE, Tenn. — Dollar General has named Pat Fili-Krushel to its board of directors effective Oct. 15.

Dallas -- 7-Eleven Inc. announced  two acquisitions that will further expand its U.S. store portfolio.

The company has closed deals with EZ Energy USA Inc. to purchase 67 retail locations in the Cleveland and Pittsburgh markets, and with its licensee, Handee Marts Inc., to acquire 58 7-Eleven convenience stores in those same markets as well as locations in northern West Virginia and western Maryland.

New York -- Sears Hometown and Outlet Stores Inc. is set to begin trading on the Nasdaq Capital Market on Friday after Sears Holdings Corp. completed a spin-off transaction of the home appliances, hardware, tools and garden equipment retailer.

Sears Holdings received $446.5 million in proceeds in the transaction, including a $100 million dividend paid by Sears Hometown prior to the separation and about $347 million from a rights offering.

Minneapolis -- Best Buy Co. received its highest score ever from the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), which represents 655 institutional investors with $78 trillion in assets, for its performance and approach to the disclosure of climate change information.