International Business

Shoptalk Commerce, the organizer of U.S. retail and e-commerce event Shoptalk, announced the launch of Shoptalk Europe, to be held at The Bella Center in Copenhagen on October 9-11, 2017, following Shoptalk’s U.S. event, which will take place at the Aria in Las Vegas on March 19-22, 2017.  

A South African-based company is now the owner of the largest mattress retailer in the United States.   Steinhoff International Holdings NV announced it completed its acquisition of Mattress Firm Holding Corp.    As a result of the completion of the transaction, which was first announced in August, Mattress Firm’s common stock will no longer be traded on the NASDAQ stock market.  

Hot on the heels of its first U.S. store, Surmesur, a made-to-measure online men’s clothing retailer, has brought its original custom menswear concept to Chicago.   The Chicago store is the eighth for the custom menswear retailer and the second outside Canada's borders, with the recent opening of a store in Pittsburgh.  

Department store retailers are pulling back in the United States, but they are doing just the opposite of the border.   The department store industry is expanding in Canada, the New York Times reported, with several factors driving the growth, including less competition and a stable market.   

Nordstrom is continuing to grow its footprint in Canada.     The retailer on Friday opened its store at CF Toronto Eaton Centre, the company's second international flagship location since opening at Pacific Centre in Vancouver, British Columbia, last fall.     

A first-of-its kind arrangement has saved Aeropostale.    A consortium made up of Authentic Brands Group (ABG) and two of the nation’s largest real estate companies — General Growth Properties and Simon Property Group — announced it has finalized the acquisition of the teen apparel retailer. It is the first time that mall operators have participated in a deal to acquire a retail chain.  

Things are looking up for Toys “R” Us.   The nation’s largest specialty toy retailer posted a 20% increase in operating profit and reduced its net loss for the second-quarter amid reduced costs, including the expense of running its now-shuttered Times Square flagship.    In addition, the retailer announced it successfully reached an agreement to refinance all of its 2017 notes and a portion of its 2018 maturities.  

North American real estate owners and developers ratcheted up their green profiles markedly this year, though they still lag global trendsetters, according to the latest results of an annual sustainability study.   In GRESB’s annual environmental assessment of real estate developers and investment trusts, North American companies averaged a score of 59 out of a possible hundred, a five-point rise from last year and just shy of the global average of 60.