International Business

CONSHOHOCKEN, Pa. - Ikea hasa proposed plans for a possible store in the city of Memphis, Tennessee that could increase the Swedish retailer’s presence in the Southeastern United States as its first store in the state.    The potential store could open as early as fall 2016 and is contingent upon receiving all governmental approvals.  

Brisbane, Calif. – Bebe Stores Inc. has named Jim Wiggett, who has been serving as interim CEO since June 2014, as permanent CEO and member of the board of directors. Wiggett is a 40-year retail and business veteran.  

West Chester, Penn. – QVC has named Mathias Bork to the position of CEO of QVC Germany, effective Jan. 1, 2015. Bork will be responsible for overseeing QVC's operations and growth in the Germany market.   Bork succeeds Steve Hofmann, CEO of QVC Europe, who has held the role of interim CEO of QVC Germany since the end of 2013. Bork will continue to report to Hofmann.   

Wayne, N.J. – Toys ‘R Us Inc. shrunk its net loss to $213 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2014 from $605 million in the year ago, helped by expense controls and a less intense promotional enviroment.  The retailer, however, did not provide an outlook for its holiday performance.  

Former Procter & Gamble group president Jorge Mesquita has been hired by Johnson & Johnson as worldwide chairman of its consumer companies. 

Mesquita, 53, will serve on the corporation’s management committee, lead the consumer group operating committee and report to Sandi Peterson, group worldwide chairman.

San Jose, Calif. – EBay Inc. is reportedly considering cutting up to 3,000 jobs early in 2015. According to the Wall Street Journal, the staff reductions would primarily occur in the EBay Marketplace unit as the company prepares to spin off its PayPal unit.   

Los Angeles - CBRE Group, Inc. has launched a new global brand positioning along with a platform to express the positioning inside and outside the company, Build on Advantage.   “With our new positioning, we have created an organizing principle for the brand that supports our core strategy of producing distinct advantages for all of our stakeholders, and have united our professionals around this aspiration,” said Bob Sulentic, CBRE’s president and CEO.  

Expense control and a more rational promotional environment helped Toys “R” Us reduce the size of its third quarter operating loss but the company had little to say about its outlook for Christmas sales and profits.