International Business

Jackson, Miss. – Newk’s Eatery is planning franchise growth in new markets stretching across the South. Expansion will occur in markets including Savannah, Georgia and Orlando, Florida, to Lubbock and Midland-Odessa, Texas, with Washington, D.C, Richmond and Norfolk/Virginia Beach, Virginia, Indianapolis, St. Louis and Oklahoma City in between.

New York -- Tiger, the Danish discount chain known for its low prices and design emphasis, is entering the United States, opening a 5,000-sq.-ft. flagship in May, in New York City.

Tiger stores offer a quirky, ever-changing selection of exclusive products across a wide variety of categories, including home, toys, hobby, party, snacks, electronics, gadgets, fashion accessories and seasonal. The majority of its products, roughly half of which are designed in house, sell for $10 or less.

Goleta, Calif. – Deckers Brands has appointed Wendy Yang as Teva brand president, effective May 1. In this role, Yang will design and lead Teva's global brand strategy and report directly to Dave Powers, president of Deckers Brands.  

Walmart is beginning to raise wages for workers in several states as part of its employee initiative for fiscal 2015.

San Francisco – Jins Eyewear, Japan’s largest eyewear brand by volume, will open its first U.S. store on April 10, in San Francisco's Union Square neighborhood. The 4,900-sq.-ft. space will house more than 1,200 different styles of Jins exclusive eyewear.

City of Commerce, Calif. – 99 Cents Only Stores is opening nine new stores in California between April 9 and April 11. The stores will be located in the communities of San Luis Obispo, Ontario, Sonora, Santee, Escondido, Tustin, San Bernardino, Cypress and South El Monte.

99 Cents Only currently operates 384 stores located in California, Texas, Arizona & Nevada.
 

Toronto -- Hudson’s Bay Company’s net profit in the fourth quarter jumped to C$111 million (USD $88.9 million) from C$37 million ,in the year-ago period, helped by strong digital sales, the successful integration of Saks Fifth Avenue and the strong U.S. dollar. The retailer said it plans to accelerate openings of Saks’ off-price Off 5th brand and strengthen its digital and omnichannel capabilities in its current fiscal year.  

A big jump in digital sales and the integration of Saks Fifth Avenue helped Hudson’s Bay Co. post a larger increase in profit in the fourth quarter.