Finance & Capital Management

American Eagle Outfitters is entering an emerging global retail market.   The teen retailer is preparing for its debut in India. American Eagle’s expansion will be supported through a multi-year license agreement with the Aditya Birla Group. The Indian conglomerate has an extensive retail portfolio, as well as strong digital and omnichannel capabilities.    The first stores are expected to open in Mumbai and Delhi in Spring 2018.  

UPS is ramping up its holiday workforce.   The company plans to hire approximately 95,000 seasonal employees to support an anticipated increase in package shipments during the 2017 holiday shopping season. UPS expects increased delivery volume to span between early November and January 2018.    This marks the fourth straight year that UPS is hiring this number of employees for the holiday season, according to Reuters.   

FedEx will have new shipping rates starting January 1, 2018.   All subsidiaries, FedEx Express, FedEx Ground and FedEx Freight, will increase their shipping fees by an average of 4.9%. The company is also imparting additional surcharges across other services.   For example, FedEx Express shipping rates will spike by an average of 4.9% for U.S. domestic, U.S. export and U.S. import services. FedEx One Rate pricing will increase by an average of 3.5%.  

Looking toward the future, Toys ‘R’ Us’ CEO has established a recovery plan.   In a meeting at Toys “R” Us’ pop-up store in Times Square, chief executive David Brandon outlined the company’s turnaround plan, internally called “Project Sunrise.” From a high-level, it includes integrating its online and in-store shopping experiences, adding faster shipping and better technology and customer service, according to Reuters.  

Toys "R" Us filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection late Monday night in federal court in Richmond, Va., with an eye to revamping its long-term -- and massive -- debt totaling more than $5 billion.  

While today's decision does not necessarily mean it is game over for Toys "R" Us, it brings to a close a turbulent chapter in the iconic company's history.   A combination of high debt and severe structural changes in the industry created a toxic mix against which Toys "R" Us had little choice but to restructure and try to put itself on a firmer footing.  

As it expands online and opens stores offline, Untuckit is looking forward to its biggest holiday shopping season to date.   

Fort Worth-based Trademark Property Co. has launched fundraisers at its properties in Texas to aid victims of Hurricane Harvey. Proceeds will be distributed via United Way, which is waiving all general and administrative fees in the arrangement with Trademark.   Tenants, financial partners, customers, and the community are being engaged in events, and Trademark has pledged to match up to $150,000 in donations. Miller Capital Advisory has pledged a matching donation total of $50,000 for fund collected at La Palmer in Corpus Christi. 

Walgreens Boots Alliance secured regulatory approval for a deal to buy stores from Rite Aid Corp. after a reduction in the number of stores and price. The deal will still enable Walgreens to dramatically increase its store footprint, giving it a total of about 10,000 U.S. locations.   

With its transformation deemed complete, Best Buy is looking for solid gains in profits and sales during the next several years. It also sees expanded opportunities for growth in new smart home initiatives.