Finance & Capital Management

On the heels of an impressive financial report from rival True Value, Ace Hardware is reporting even better sales in its second quarter.

For the quarter ended July 4, Ace Hardware Corp. had record revenue of $1.4 billion in the second quarter, an increase of 6.5% from last year. Ace’s retail same-store-sales reported by approximately 3,000 Ace retailers who share daily retail sales data increased 6.5% and Ace Retail Holdings LLC rose 4.7% due to an increase in customer count and average transaction size.

Lumber Liquidators has hired a new executive to help it fight off an avalanche of legal troubles that has hammered the flooring retailer.

Reagan era appointee David Stockman is no fan of the current administration or the Federal Reserve’s long-running easy money policy and to make his case against the flawed strategy he singles out four of the biggest names in department store retailing.

Stockman is the Reagan era director of the Office of Management and Budget who became a Wall Street executive and now regularly opines on the troubled state of the economy and looming dangers caused by nearly eight years of zero interest rates he contends have produced all manner of distortions in the economy.

San Diego – The ranks of publicly traded retailers are going to have a new member. Petco Holdings Inc. has publicly filed a registration statement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for a proposed initial public offering (IPO) of its common stock.

Toronto – Despite efforts by her previous employer to block the transition, former Kohl’s CIO Janet Schalk is joining Hudson’s Bay Co. in the same capacity. Schalk initially informed Kohl’s she would be leaving effective July 31 to take the Hudson’s Bay CIO post.

Minneapolis – Target Corp. has reportedly reached a settlement with Visa Inc. that will reimburse issuers of Visa cards for costs related to the retailer’s 2013 data breach. According to the Wall Street Journal, the agreement will reimburse thousands of card issuers for potentially up to $67 million.

Woonsocket, R.I. – CVS Health Corp. is entering a new pharmacy dispensing channel with the completion of an approximately $12.9 billion acquisition of Omnicare, a provider of pharmacy services to long-term care facilities. CVS initially announced the deal in May 2015.

CVS expects the deal to significantly expand its ability to dispense prescriptions in assisted living and long term care facilities, as well as expand its presence in the specialty pharmacy business.

Cincinnati - The Kroger Co.is establishing two new supermarket divisions in Texas -- a Dallas division and a Houston division. Previously, both markets were served as part of Kroger's Southwest division.

Los Angeles – American Apparel Inc., which warned shareholders of poor second quarter results last week, had more bad news this week. In addition to reporting growing net loss and shrinking net sales in a tough second quarter of fiscal 2015, American Apparel said it does not currently have enough cash to last the next 12 months and shareholders may lose some or all of their investment.

Toano, Va. – Shuffling in the executive ranks continues at embattled Lumber Liquidators Holdings Inc., in the wake of accusations the retailer sold Chinese hardwood laminate products that had illegal levels of formaldehyde. Lumber Liquidators has hired Jill Witter as chief compliance and legal officer.