Finance & Capital Management

Draw Another Circle, the parent company of Texas-based Hastings Entertainment, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, with hopes of finding a buyer for its Hastings superstores.    

The combination of a cool spring and the continued pullback in luxury apparel spending took a toll on Neiman Marcus Group in the company’s third quarter.    The department store retailer’s profit plunged 80% in the period ended April 30, down to $3.8 million from $19.8 million in the year-ago period.    Total revenue for the quarter fell 4.2% to $1.17 billion, down from $1.22 billion a year ago.   Same-stores sales fell 5%.   

Given the growing proliferation of digital devices, it’s no wonder uBreakiFix is feeling bullish about expansion.   The fast-growing technology repair company specializes in same-day repair service of small electronics. With some 200 locations across North America, uBreakiFix opened 24 stores during first quarter 2016. It expects to have a total of 275 stores by year end.   

PGA Tour Superstore opened its 26th store to date — and first store in Minnesota — on June 11.   Located in Minnetonka, in a previous Sports Authority location, the 41,000-sq.-ft. store has 12 interactive simulators, practice hitting bays, a large putting green measuring more than 1,500 sq. ft. and an in-house club-making and repair facility to provide an interactive experience to golf enthusiasts of all levels.  

Aéropostale has received final approval for $160 million in debtor in-possession financing provided by Crystal Financial LLC.

Wal-Mart Stores is undertaking a series of executive changes at its international divisions, starting with a new head for its struggling United Kingdom business, Asda.
 
Andy Clarke, president and CEO of Asda, will step down on July 11, after having worked at the British company for more than 20 years. Asda has been under heavy competitive pressure and has reported seven straight quarterly sales declines.

Just 9.8% of more than 5,400 financial and accounting professionals say their companies are prepared to comply with the new Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) and International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) lease accounting standards.   That is one of the highlights of a recent Deloitte poll. http://www.slideshare.net/DeloitteUS/new-lease-accounting-standards-are-companies-prepared-to-comply-62702689  

Days after announcing its “Way Forward Plan” reorganizational plan, Ralph Lauren Corp. named three new senior executives who will help oversee it.  

High-quality malls and lifestyle centers are best positioned to capitalize on the shift toward experience-based spending.    That’s according to a new study by the research arm of MetLife Investment Management (MIM), which finds that millennials’ preference for acquiring experiences and memories over material goods will play a significant role in determining which retail formats will outperform in the future.   

Quality Solutions, Colwich, Kansas, a leading provider of facilities maintenance and constructions services, has changed its name to QSI Facilities.    The company has also launched a new website and introduced a new approach for overcoming “value leakage” in outsourced facilities services.