Finance & Capital Management

Fort Myers, Fla. -- Chico's FAS said Tuesday it has completed its previously announced acquisition of direct-to-consumer women’s apparel retailer Boston Proper.

"We appreciate the hard work that the Chico's FAS and Boston Proper teams put forth to complete this transaction in near record time,” said David F. Dyer, president and CEO of Chico’s FAS. “I see it as indicative as to how well Boston Proper fits with the Chico's FAS family of brands."

Memphis -- AutoZone reported Tuesday that profit for the quarter ended Aug. 27 rose 12% to $301.5 million, compared with $268.9 million in the year-ago period.

Sales rose 8.1% to $2.64 billion from $2.45 billion, topping Wall Street expectations of $2.61 billion in sales. Same-store sales in the U.S. rose 4.5%.

During the quarter, AutoZone opened 68 new stores, replaced five stores, and closed one store in the United States and opened 18 new stores in Mexico.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Same-store sales growth and a number of new store opening helped Autozone deliver another impressive quarter, while helping the company maintain its position as a leading automotive parts retailer for both everyday consumers and professionals.

Autozone reported net sales of $2.6 billion for its fourth quarter ended Aug. 27, an increase of 8.1% from the fourth quarter of fiscal 2010. Domestic same-store sales increased 4.5% for the quarter.

Newton, Pa. -- Restaurant operator, The Rose Group, a 59-unit Applebee's and four-unit Corner Bakery Café franchisee, said Tuesday it has selected JobApp Network as its automated hiring solution to improve restaurant hiring, manage compliance and maximize employee tax credits.

Including the Rose Group, nearly 150 Applebee's units are currently utilizing the complete end-to-end hiring solution provided by JobApp, based in Bloomfield Hills, Mich.

Houston -- Retail ATM owner Cardtronics said Tuesday that it has forged an ATM managed services agreement with Lakewood, Colo.-based FirstBank, covering the segment of its ATM network located in King Soopers grocery stores.

As part of the agreement, Cardtronics has implemented all hardware upgrades necessary to bring the King Soopers portion of the $11 billion-asset bank’s ATM network into compliance with revised “Americans with Disabilities Act regulations set to take effect in 2012.

Dallas -- 7-Eleven is acquiring the retail interests of 28 locations owned by Pacific Convenience & Fuels LLC.

The acquisition includes sites in California, Oregon, Washington and Colorado, and is slated to close in fourth quarter 2011. Terms of the transaction have not been disclosed.

All of the locations will be rebranded as 7-Eleven and will retain the Conoco-Phillips/76 gasoline brands.

Plano, Texas -- J.C. Penney Co. said Monday in a regulatory filing that it has allowed shopping center owner Vornado Realty Trust to increase its stake in the department store retailer, from 9.9% to 15.4%.

The move eases a poison-pill restriction that had prevented Vornado from previously buying additional J.C. Penney shares. It mirrors a deal struck with Penney’s largest shareholder William Ackman, who received the go-ahead to up his stake, held through his Pershing Square Capital Management hedge fund, from 16.5% to as much as 26.1%.

Indianapolis -- Shopping center owner Simon Property Group said Tuesday that it has again been recognized by the Carbon Disclosure Project with inclusion in its Carbon Disclosure Leadership Index.