International Business

ATLANTA — Elavon, a leading global payments provider and wholly owned subsidiary of U.S. Bancorp, has promoted Simon Haslam to the position of president and CEO. Haslam succeeds Mike Passilla, who recently departed the company.

Haslam joined Elavon in 2005 and was president of Elavon International Markets. He is credited with leading Elavon’s successful expansion throughout Europe, South America and Latin America, including the company’s recently completed joint venture with Banco Santander.

New York -- Foot Locker Inc. said Wednesday that it will buy German athletic store chain Runners Point Warenhandelsges (RPG) for 72 million euros ($94 million) as it expands in Europe.  
 
RPG, which had sales of $254 million for 2012, operates more than 200 stores — with its most prominent banners being Runners Point and Sidestep — as well as an online subsidiary, Tredex. Most its stores are in Germany, although there are also Runners Point and Sidestep locations in The Netherlands, Austria, and Switzerland.

NEW YORK — Foot Locker has started the ball rolling toward acquiring Runners Point Warenhandelsges, a specialty athletic store and online retailer based in Recklinghausen, Germany, for a total cash consideration of approximately $94 million. 

LOS ANGELES, Calif. — The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, a leading specialty coffee and tea retailer, is leveraging wireless technology to retain existing customers and encourage new ones to come into their stores. 

The company will test wireless charging with Power Matters Alliance at select Los Angeles locations and plans to deploy wireless charging with PMA in dozens of California stores this quarter, with the aim of expanding nationally and internationally shortly thereafter.

New York -- Wal-Mart Stores has identified two internal candidates to succeed CEO Mike Duke, Bloomberg News reported.
   
The two candidates are Bill Simon, 53 and head of Walmart U.S., and Doug McMillon, 46, head of the company's international business, according to the report.

SAN DIEGO, Calif. — The sun shined favorably this month on PriceSmart, which operates 31 warehouse clubs in 12 countries and one U.S. territory.

For the month of April 2013 net sales increased 11% to $176 million from $159 million in April a year earlier. For the eight months ended April 30, net sales increased 11% to $1,484 million from $1,337 million for the eight months ended April a year earlier. There were 30 warehouse clubs in operation at the end of April 2013 and 29 warehouse clubs in operation at the end of April 2012.

John Bucksbaum discusses post-recession realities

Bucksbaum Retail Properties opened for business in April 2012. The Chicago-based company has already opened one project and is working on four more.

The 53,000-sq.-ft. Kingsbury Center near North Chicago has opened with four tenants: Buy Buy Baby, PetSmart, Road Runner Sports and Jimmy Johns. It is a joint venture with Chicago-based Structured Development.