Finance & Capital Management

SAN FRANCISCO —  Levi's announced that it has appointed Beto Guajardo as its new global VP strategy. In this role, Guajardo will be responsible for leading the development and execution of the brand's growth strategy and global business development.

LAKELAND, Fla. — Investors will wish even harder that Publix would go public, now that the company has reported strong quarterly results and a jump in its private stock price.

Publix, which is not publicly-traded company, said that its stock price rose from $21.65 per share to $22.05 per share, effective Aug. 1. The stock is only available to current Publix associates and members of its board of directors.

MINNEAPOLIS — Target announced that it has donated $15,000 in monetary support and product to assist with Minot, N.D. flooding relief efforts. The company said its donation will help four Minot schools, including Long Fellow, Perkett, Eric Ramstad and Lincoln. Each school will receive $3,000 to support classroom relocation efforts due to flood damage.                             .

WASHINGTON — Amazon and other online-only retailers have been dealt a major blow, as legislation introduced last week seeks to require such retailers to collect sales tax.

The Main Street Fairness Act would allow states that have adopted the Streamlined Sales and Use Tax Agreement to require out-of-state sellers to collect sales tax whether they have a physical presence in their state or not. The bill would cover all “remote sellers,” which include online retailers, catalog merchants and “1-800” offers on radio and television.

New York City -- Publix Super Markets said its second-quarter net income rose 9.7%, to $382.4 million.

Total sales increased 5.8%, to $6.6 billion. Same-store sales rose 4.2%.
 

SALISBURY, N.C. — Delhaize America announced that it is expanding its Food Lion distribution center in Dunn, N.C.

The company said the distribution center, which opened in 1987 and services 264 Food Lion stores in the area, will increase storage space by 54,000 sq. ft. to accomodate more than 4,000 refrigerated and frozen foods.

NEW YORK  — The end of Borders as we know it may be drawing near. According to court papers filed with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Manhattan, Borders Group is planning to auction off its intellectual property, including the Borders brand name and the Borders.com website, in a move that will enable the brand to live on after liquidation in a limited fashion.

The Sept. 14 auction, which will sell off the logo, trademarks, website, customer lists and other intellectual property, is expected to draw millions of dollars worth of offers.

By Craig Rowley, [email protected]