Finance & Capital Management

The Fresh Market has ended its search for a new chief executive.   The grocer appointed Larry Appel as the company’s president and CEO, effective immediately. Appel brings nearly 30 years of experience in retail, legal and corporate strategy, and most recently served as CEO of Skeeter Snacks. From 2002 to 2012, he served at Winn-Dixie Stores in a variety of senior leadership roles including COO. Prior to that, he was senior VP of legal at The Home Depot.  

rue21 has cleared a significant hurdle in its effort to move forward after declaring bankruptcy.   

Target Corp. is launching an array of private brands and the discounter is giving them a big kickoff.   The discounter will launch an aggressive marketing campaign for the new labels, AdAge reported, including everything from print and television spots to in-store events and visual merchandising.      

Aggressive price cuts took a toll on the nation's largest grocery store operator in its second quarter.    Kroger Co.'s net income fell to $353 million, or 39 cents per share, in the quarter ended Aug. 12, from $383 million, or 40 cents per share, in the year-ago period. Its results were in line with the Street estimates. Gross margins fell by 30 basis points.  

RadioShack is entering the latest chapter in its ongoing financial saga — but on a positive note.     On Thursday, RadioShack’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy plan cleared a preliminary court review. This decision enables the retailer to move forward with its strategy to reorganize, and save a small portion of the company, according to Dealerscope.  

PREIT, which has long been pursuing a strategy of unloading underperforming malls from its portfolio, announced it has sold the Logan Valley Mall for $33.2 million net of credits issued to the buyer. The new owner’s identity was not released.   The Altoona, Pennsylvania, mall -- anchored by Macy's, J.C. Penney and Sears -- had been turning in sales-per-square-foot of $324 versus an average of $475 for the rest of the PREIT portfolio.  

Children’s apparel retailer Gymboree Corp is exiting Chapter 11 bankruptcy as a going concern.   The children's apparel retailer won court approval to exit bankruptcy with a reorganization plan that includes a comprehensive recapitalization that will eliminate about $1 billion in debt. It expects to complete its financial restructuring process and emerge from Chapter 11 by the end of the month.  

A start-up that specializes in melted-sandwiches made from high-quality ingredients is looking to go nationwide.   Melt Shop hopes to grow to 100 locations during the next five years across the U.S. and internationally via franchising, The brand, founded in 2011 in New York, currently operates six corporate-owned locations in New York, one at Mall of America, Bloomington, Minn., and one in King of Prussia, Pa. It recently expanded into the Middle East and will open seven locations in the region, with four opening in Kuwait by March 2018.