Finance & Capital Management

Northbrook, Ill. -- Hilco Real Estate said Thursday it has formed Hilco Real Estate Managed Asset Resolutions to provide turnkey loan servicing to lenders and other real estate investing entities on their most deeply-distressed loans and REO assets.

Jerry T. Hudspeth has joined Hilco as CEO of the new group. Joining Hudspeth on the leadership team are Ronald M. Lubin, Edmund H. Terry and Michael Tsandilas.

Washington, D.C. -- The National Retail Federation said Thursday that it has made changes to its organizational structure, promoting Carleen Kohut from senior VP and CFO to the position of COO.

Also Susan Newman, VP, conferences, has been promoted to senior VP conferences, and Mike Gatti, formerly senior VP communications, has been named senior VP member relations.

BJ’s Wholesale Club this week formally announced that it planned to explore strategic alternatives and confirmed what had been speculated about in the market place for at least four years. The possible sale of BJ’s and its 189 clubs isn’t likely to have a meaningful impact on the marketplace and could potentially benefit the likes of Sam’s Club and Costco.

Miami -- Walmart Latin America CEO Eduardo Solorzano said Thursday in a speech that Walmart is using the company's expertise in sustainability as a means for profitable growth. 

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Net sales for Spartan Stores slightly declined nearly 0.6% to $782.3 million during the third quarter.

During the quarter, which ended Jan. 1, Spartan also experienced a rise in operating earnings, which increased from $13.7 million in third quarter 2009 to $16.6 million. Third-quarter earnings from continuing operations improved 42% percent to $7.5 million, or 33 cents per diluted share, from $5.3 million, or 23 cents per diluted share.

NEW YORK --Dillard’s was the clear winner in the department store category in January, posting a same-store sales increase of 6%, which edged results from both Macy’s and Saks.

JCPenney was the big disappointment, as same-store sales dropped an unexpected 1.2%. A survey of analysts by Thomson Reuters produced a consensus estimate of same-store sales up 1.8%.

The retailer said January sales were impacted by lower levels of clearance inventory as well as by adverse weather conditions.

Natick, Mass. -- BJ’s Wholesale Club confirmed on Thursday that it will potentially put it up for sale.

BURLINGTON, N.J. -- Burlington Coat Factory Warehouse Corp. announced that net sales for the fourth quarter ended Jan. 29, 2011 were $1.188 billion compared with $1.12 billion for the comparative period ended Jan. 30, 2010, a 6.1% increase. Comparative-store sales increased 1.2% for the quarter.