International Business

MONTREAL — Toy manufacturer Mega Brands reported that net sales in the second quarter increased 13% to $94.5 million compared with $83.9 million in the corresponding 2011 period.

Toy sales increased 14% compared to the second quarter of 2011, driven by higher product shipments in the preschool and boys construction categories. Toy sales have increased year-over-year in ten of the last 11 quarters.

Sales of stationery and ctivities products were up 10%, the fifth consecutive quarter of year-over-year growth in this segment.

HAMILTON, BERMUDA — Specialty retail jeweler, Signet Jewelers, has named a Procter & Gamble executive to its board of directors.

Virginia Drosos, group president global beauty, skin, cosmetics and personal care for Procter & Gamble, who will retire from this position effective Sept. 1, joined the Signet board on July 25.

Chicago -- A Thursday report compiled by Reuters and published in the Chicago Tribune said that U.S. authorities are weighing whether or not to launch a wide-scale investigation of the retail industry for bribery violations.

The news comes after Wal-Mart de Mexico came under scrutiny for potentially violating an anti-foreign bribery law, allegedly orchestrating bribes of $24 million to facilitate its growth in the region.     

Eugene Fife is the newest member of the Office Depot board.

The office products retailer added Fife to the board after James Rubin stepped down. Rubin was required to give up his seat because of a stipulation in an investor rights agreement Office Depot struck with BC Partners in 2009 that gave the firm three board seats after it made a sizable investment. The agreement required BC Partners board members to be employed by the firm and because Rubin recently resigned from BC Partners he was no longer allowed to serve on the Office Depot board.

MALIBU, Calif. — Jakks Pacific has acquired Ohio-based Maui Inc., a manufacturer and distributor of spring and summer activity toys, outdoor sports related toys, impulse toys including the popular Wave Hoop and Sky Ball products under the Maui Toys brand.

Jakks Pacific has acquired all of the shares of stock of Maui, a 24-year-old, privately held company, and its Hong Kong based affiliate A.S. Design Limited. The business is comprised of proprietary non-licensed brands.

NEW YORK — Saks Inc. has named Fabiola Arredondo to its board of directors.

Los Angeles -- CBRE Group said it has named Cal Frese as CEO of the company’s Americas business. In this role, Frese has responsibility for leading CBRE’s largest business segment, with more than $3 billion of annual revenue and more than 20,000 employees.

NEW YORK — Iconix Brand Group reported that total revenue for the second quarter of 2012 was approximately $93.6 million, a 5% increase as compared with approximately $89.3 million in the second quarter of 2011.

Whirlpool North America, a division of Whirlpool Corp., reported second-quarter sales of $2.5 billion, a 4% increase over its sales in the second quarter of 2011. Overall, North America unit shipments decreased approximately 2%, the company said, with its unit shipments of major appliances to the United States increasing approximately 1%.

PAWTUCKET, R.I. — Hasbro reported that net revenues for the quarter were $811.5 million, a decrease of 11%, compared with $908.5 million in 2011. Second quarter 2012 net revenues declined 7% excluding a negative $34.4 million impact of foreign exchange.

Net earnings for the second quarter 2012 were $43.4 million, or 33 cents per diluted share, versus $58.1 million, or 42 cents per diluted share, in 2011.