International Business

Hoffman Estates, Ill. -- A report released Monday by the Associated Press said that Sears Holdings Corp. would be spinning off its Hometown and Outlet stores, along with some hardware stores, into a separate, publicly traded company.

Earlier this year, Sears had revealed it would split the companies but had not indicated the new organization would be a separate public entity.

There are approximately 1,238 Hometown, Outlet and hardware stores. Five Hometown stores have been closed, along with eight hardware stores and one Outlet unit.

Columbus, Ohio -- Express said Friday that one of its subsidiaries has entered into a franchise agreement with Fastco Commercial S.A., a retail franchise operator, to open more than 30 Express stores over a five-year period in Panama, Peru, Costa Rica, Colombia, The Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua.

Specialty retailer Express expects to have its first stores in Latin America open by year end.

Bharti Walmart, Walmart's joint venture in India, has reportedly ended plans to start online operations and has fired Dippankar Halder, who was in charge of the division.

However, a spokeswoman for the company, according to The Economic Times, denied the reports and said that Bharti Walmart will continue to serve its members multiple ways, including through the e-commerce channel.

ATLANTA — Ignacio Perez Lizaur, who lead Walmart's expansion into Latin America as director general Sam's Club Mexico in 1991, has joined Newell Rubbermaid's board of directors.

Cincinnati -- Macy's reported a nearly 16% increase in net income for its second quarter as the chain benefited from cost controls and its ongoing strategy of tailoring its fashions to local markets. The company said it was raising its full-year profit forecast.

Macy's net income rose to $279 million for the three-month period ended July 28, up from $241 million in the year-ago period.

Costa Mesa, Calif. -- Donahue Schriber announced the acquisition of its third grocery-anchored shopping center in the last two months. The company reported the close of escrow on Del Mar Heights Village Center in San Diego County, Calif., which follows the acquisitions of Four Corners Shopping Center in Washington State and Bonita Centre, also in San Diego County.

New York -- Ralph Lauren Corp. said that its net income rose 5% in its first quarter, but the company forecast a revenue decline in the current quarter and sounded a note of caution about the weak global economy hurting consumer spending.

"The outlook for consumer spending and global economic growth remains challenging and we are planning our business accordingly," said CEO Roger Farah.

Net income from April through June was $193.4 million, up from $184.1 million a year ago.