International Business

Bentonville, Ark. -- A report Thursday by the Associated Press said that Wal-Mart Stores executives met Thursday to discuss the proposed Massmart acquisition, which is expected to close in June.

According to the report, as Wal-Mart expands its international business, the company wants to bring ideas it gains from the South African chain to other markets.

Framingham, Mass. -- Staples Europe announced Thursday that it has appointed Amee Chande to managing director UK retail & direct and Andrew Gabriel to director of technology and services European retail.

Chande will have overall responsibility for Staples retail and delivery businesses in the United Kingdom, a key market for the company. Chande joined Staples in 2009 as senior VP strategy, responsible for developing and driving the company’s growth agenda.

Atlanta -- LaVida Massage said Wednesday it has named Duane Goodwin and Terry Sharp as Master Developers in the state of Georgia.

Goodwin and Sharp, both former Home Depot senior executives based in Atlanta, will be charged with spearheading the regional growth and the development of several centers in Atlanta and throughout Georgia.

New York City -- A report released Wednesday by CB Richard Ellis found that New York City remains the world’s most expensive retail destination as retailers focus on the major fashion capitals, pushing global rents in prime locations even higher.

According to the latest CBRE Global Retail MarketView, the improving economy has had a measurably positive impact.

New York City -- The Jones Group has acquired Kurt Geiger, Europe's largest luxury shoe retailer from Graphite Capital, a leading United Kingdom mid-market private equity firm, for approximately $350 million in cash, inclusive of debt acquired.

The acquisition further extends Jones' reach into the designer footwear business through Kurt Geiger's portfolio of high-end brands and presence in leading department stores, such as Harrods and Selfridges.

Seattle -- Starbucks Corp. announced it has acquired full ownership of Starbucks stores in the China provinces of Guangdong, Hainan, Sichuan, Shaanxi and Hubei in an agreement with Maxim’s Caterers Ltd., the coffee company’s joint-venture partner. As a result, Starbucks said now has full control of more than half of the Starbucks retail stores in Mainland China as it looks to accelerate growth in the future.

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — Tesco said it is turning its attention to its U.S. supermarket chain, according to the company's annual report.

According to the company, despite the fact that its U.S. operations, which include its Fresh & Easy supermarket chain, have been slower to recover when compared with its European counterparts, Tesco said, "We are now seeing signs of improvement. ... Customer feedback at Fresh & Easy remains excellent, and strong growth in customer numbers is driving steady sales improvement in each store."

New York City -- South Carolina legislators gave final approval Wednesday to a deal bringing Amazon.com and its promise of 2,000 jobs to the state, the Associated Press reported.

The House voted 90-14 to approve a compromise brokered last week in the Senate, sending the measure to Gov. Nikki Haley's desk.

By George F. Brown Jr. and David G. Hartman

Enjoy the Pack

NEW YORK — Barneys New York has announced that its e-commerce website, Barneys.com (www.Barneys.com), has introduced international shipping to 90 countries including Canada, South Korea, the United Kingdom, Australia, and China.

According to Barneys, international customers will be able to make payments on Barneys.com in their preferred currency with cost-effective international shipping and handling services.