Finance & Capital Management

Walmart recently announced that it provided pay increases for its managers who are currently making approximately $45,000 per year. By raising their salaries to $48,500 and keeping their duties intact, Walmart will not need to worry about the new federal overtime rules that go into effect on Dec. 1. As we all know, Walmart sets the pace for change (e.g., selling unboxed deodorant and antiperspirant, selling groceries and general merchandise in the same store, etc.) but will retailers follow suit here by simply increasing wages? Likely not.  

Nordstrom’s longtime CFO is stepping down.    Nordstrom announced that executive VP and CFO Mike Koppel has decided to retire from the company in spring 2017. Koppel will remain in his role until then to support the search for a new CFO and assist with his successor's transition.    Koppel joined Nordstrom in 1999 and has been the company's finance head since 2001.  

GNC Holdings reported a quarterly dividend of 20 cents per share.   The dividend will be paid on Dec. 30.   The specialty wellness retailer operates more than 9,000 locations in approximately 50 countries.  

A spat with a toy vendor could make for a difficult holiday shopping season for Sears Holdings.   Due to claims of financial difficulties, reports claim that toy manufacturer Jakks Pacific has halted sales of its Star Wars and Disney Princess toys, among other merchandise, to “a major U.S. customer," which was presumed by some to be Kmart, according to CNBC.  

Several companies have reportedly expressed interest in acquiring the debt-laden American Apparel.   Brand licensors Authentic Brands Group and Iconix Brand Group are among the companies eying the chain, Reuters reported.   

Walmart has made another big e-commerce investment in China.   On the heels of launching three major e-commerce initiatives in China, Walmart will invest $50 million in New Dada — China’s largest local on-demand logistics and grocery online-to-offline (O2O) e-commerce platform.  

A 65,798-sq.-ft. neighborhood center in the Houston suburb of Greenspoint has been purchased for $15 million, or about $228 per square foot, according to the Chron website. Deal broker CBRE said that’s one of the highest prices paid for retail space in the area on a square-foot basis.  

Skechers’ third quarter results came in below estimates as the company said it would continue to focus internationally for growth.   The Manhattan Beach, Calif.-based brand’s net income fell 2.2% to $65.1 million, or 42 cents per diluted share, which was below forecasts for diluted EPS of 47 cents. Skechers said its diluted EPS were negatively impacted by foreign currency translation and exchange losses.  

Starbucks is bullish about its new café format, Starbucks Reserve, which will target a more sophisticated audience with premium coffees and food offerings.     The company had previously said it planned to open 500 Reserve locations globally, with the format making its debut next year. But it is looking to open as many as 1,000 locations, Bloomberg reported.

Until this week, Rouse Properties’ northeastern-most retail possession was The Centre at Salisbury in Maryland. But its purchase this week of an 115,000-sq.-ft. center outside of Hartford, Connecticut, gives the developer a footprint planted firmly in New England.