International Business

San Francisco -- Gap Inc. is bringing its Old Navy brand to China, with the opening of a store on March 1 on Shanghai’s famous Nanjing West Road.

The 22,000 –sq.-ft., three-level Shanghai Old Navy store is located in the Jing’an District, a major commercial area known for shopping, sightseeing, hotels and office buildings that draws thousands of locals and overseas visitors. The store features iconic elements from Old Navy’s U.S. flagship and such interactive features as touch-screen video games and game tables.

San Diego -- As part of a restructuring, Sony Electronics announced plans to close 20 U.S. Sony stores, along with a total staff reduction of one-third by the end of the calendar year.

Chicago -- An overwhelming majority of retail CFOs (96%) expect merger & acquisition (M&A) activity to increase or remain consistent with 2013 levels during 2014. According to the new BDO Retail Compass Survey of CFOs, two-thirds of CFOs anticipate that the majority of deal activity will occur in the U.S., followed distantly by Asia-Pacific (17%) and Europe (8%).

New Delhi, India – Narendra Modi, candidate of opposition party Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for Indian prime minister, reportedly has made statements in favor of global online retailing and India’s small retailers learning to compete with large retailers. According to Reuters, at a meeting of the Confederation of All India Traders, Modi said small local retailers should improve the quality of their goods to a level closer to that of large global competitors, and also consider entering contracts with large online retailers to create virtual trade.

Dallas — SRS Real Estate Partners has hired Michael Straus as an associate in the Chicago office. Straus will focus on tenant and landlord representation as well as new business development.

He brings more than 15 years of managerial and sales experience to SRS. Prior to signing on with SRS, he worked for Student Transportation of America where he oversaw all aspects of operations and managed more than 1,100 employees across the Midwest. He managed sales and contract negotiations, lease renewals, development and acquisitions.

New York -- Bed Bath & Beyond has appointed Eugene A. Castagna, previously CFO and treasurer, to the role of COO. Susan E. Lattmann, formerly VP of finance, will fill the CFO and treasurer spot.
 
Castagna has been with the company since  1994 and has served as CFO and Treasurer since 2006. Previously, he served as assistant treasurer from 2002 to 2006 and as VP of finance from 2000 to 2006.

New Albany, Ohio – Abercrombie & Fitch Co.'s fourth-quarter net income plunged 58%, less than Wall Street expected, amid several one-time charges, including costs tied to the closure of its Gilly Hicks’ stores. The company’s board also approved a $150 million accelerated share repurchase plan, to be executed during the first quarter.

For the quarter ended Feb 1, Abercrombie’s income fell to $66.1 million from $157.2 in the year-ago period. For the full year, income declined 77% to $54.6 million from $237 million last year.

Purchase, N.Y. – MasterCard and Syniverse are partnering to deliver a number of mobile and payment services for consumers to use when traveling abroad. The two companies are currently in pilot-phase for an opt-in service that will enable card transactions for users only when they have their mobile device switched on in a specific geolocation abroad.

Redmond, Wash. -- PlayNetwork, a leading innovator in branded entertainment media experiences, is expanding its global reach with the announcement of its new Hong Kong office.
 
The Hong Kong office joins PlayNetwork locations around the globe, with teams in London, England; Columbus, Ohio; Sherman Oaks, Calif.; New York City; and the company's corporate headquarters in Redmond, Wash.

Austin, Texas — CBRE has announced three more Austin-area locations for local fast casual restaurant VERTS, bringing its store count to 10. In 2014, VERTS plans to open 13 new locations, including expansions into Dallas and Houston.

The newest locations are in North Austin. Locations in Round Rock and Cedar Park will open in the next two months.