Finance & Capital Management

Philadelphia -- Men’s and women’s apparel retailer, Theory has taken 3,000 sq. ft. at 1616 Walnut Street in Center City Philadelphia near Rittenhouse Square, according to Fameco Real Estate.

Fameco represented the building’s ownership group of Federal Capital, Alterra Property and Cross Properties in the transaction.

Famous Brands International, parent company of TCBY Yogurt and Mrs. Fields Cookies, has appointed interim CEO Neal Courtney as the company’s CEO. Neal had been serving as interim head since February, when then-CEO Tim Casey resigned his post.

New York – XO Group Inc., parent company of wedding/baby-themed e-commerce brands such as The Knot, The Bump and ijie.com, has named Michael Steib president, effective July 1. Steib most recently served as CEO of Vente-Privee USA, an e-commerce venture backed by American Express, and also held digital executive positions at companies including Google and NBC Universal.

Greer, S.C. -- Buffets, the parent company of six family style steak buffet restaurant chains, has named Chip Romp to the newly created position of VP Training and Jay Allen to Senior VP Real Estate and Development.

A 20-year training veteran, Romp comes to the company from the Italian Fast Casual concept Fazoli’s, where he served as VP Training, Development & Ops Services. He also has training experience with Applebee’s International, Damon’s International and Jillian’s Entertainment.

Hicksville, N.Y. - The battle between the board of Men’s Wearhouse and its founder and former chairman, George Zimmer, continues to have a significant negative impact on the company’s online image.  According to a report by GenSent Insights, the company’s sentiment score, a measure of the tone surrounding a brand on a scale of -100 to +100, plummeted from an average of + 68 in mid-June to a low of -52.  The sentiment on Twitter alone fell from an uncommonly high score of +93 to a low of -80. 

INDIANAPOLIS — The Finish Line's current president and COO Steve Schneider has announced his plans to retire after 24 years with the company.

SOLON, Ohio — Nestlé plans on investing $53 million in a new product technology center, which will expand the company's existing R&D facility in Solon, Ohio.

Atlanta - Spanx, the fast-growing dollar undergarment and apparel company, will open a custom designed, expanded company headquarters and a flagship store in Buckhead Atlanta, a major mixed-use project in the heart of the area’s business district. (The project, now under construction, was initially called Streets of Buckhead.)

The headquarters will occupy three floors, a rooftop garden terrace and additional balconies. Spanx is anticipated to move in November 2014.