International Business

Atlanta -- Rental chain Aaron's announced at its 2013 National Managers Meeting in Nashville that the company plans to open 125 stores in 2013 and hire 750 new employees.

Aarons added 950 new jobs across the U.S. and Canada last year.

Atlanta -- Transwestern’s Atlanta office announced Thursday that Russell Lipscomb has been promoted to SVP of property management services.

In his new role, Lipscomb will expand his oversight into business development initiatives and engage in new pursuits to further expand Transwestern’s footprint throughout the Southeast. He will continue to direct a team of 43 property management professionals and provide oversight for all Atlanta-based property management assignments.

Palm Beach, Fla. -- Sloan’s, an upscale ice cream, candy and baked-goods emporium, has launched a national franchising program, targeting regions in Florida, the Carolinas, Georgia, New York and New England and throughout California.

WAYNE, N.J. — Toys“R”Us reported that sales for the the fourth quarter decreased $155 million to $5.8 billion and that net earnings fell to $239 million from $343 million in the prior year.

New York -- British grocery giant Tesco is moving closer to selling off its U.S. Fresh & Easy division, with Tesco CEO Philip Clarke traveling to the United States next week to try and strike a deal, according to a report in the British newspaper, The Telegraph.

Tesco has held discussions with Trader Joe’s and others about selling Fresh & Easy, but a break-up of the business is considered the most likely option, the report said. Other options include closing the business and selling off assets.

Wayne, N.J. -- Toys “R” Us on Friday reported that its sales and profits declined in the fourth quarter and the full year. The company also revealed in a regulatory filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission that it is withdrawing its plan to go public, blaming “unfavorable market conditions” and its “executive leadership transition” for the decision.  

Philadelphia -- Destination Maternity Corp. on Thursday opened the first Destination Maternity superstore location in Canada. The 5,000-sq.-ft. store is in Langley, a suburb of Vancouver, B.C.

SAN JOSE, Calif. — Ebay is projecting its revenue will grow by 50% over the next three years as it develops successful strategies to maintain itself as a commerce leader.

In a company-held meeting for the financial community, Ebay said it intends to drive strong continued growth in its core Marketplaces, PayPal and GSI Commerce businesses. At the same time, the company is focused on leveraging its global mobile commerce leadership and other commerce technologies to enable new experiences for consumers and retailers.