International Business

Framingham, Mass. -- Staples announced the appointment of Cynthia Pevehouse to senior VP general counsel, effective Jan. 3, 2012. She will have global management responsibility for the company’s legal team and report to Ron Sargent, Staples’ chairman and chief executive.

Pevehouse joins Staples from international law firm Steptoe & Johnson LLP.
 

Listening to the debate over the years about whether India should allow foreign direct investment in its retail industry sounded an awful lot like the opposition Walmart has dealt with for decades in the United States.

New York City -- Michael Kors Holdings Ltd. is looking to raise as much as $792.3 million in an initial public offering that could value the company at $3.63 billion.

The luxury brand, which has 169 stores in North America and 34 in Europe and Japan, said in a regulatory filing that it is offering 41.7 million shares on behalf of existing shareholders for $17 to $19 each.

Seattle -- Starbucks Coffee U.K. plans to create thousands of new jobs in the United Kingdom as it steps up its drive-thru program following three years of development and strong customer response to the convenience of Starbucks coffee on-the-go.

The move will see 200 new drive-thru stores opened over the next five years. Combined with openings of conventional stores over the same period, the company expects to create 5,000 new jobs.

Indianapolis -- Simon Property Group announced that, in 50/50 partnership with Genting Berhad, it has opened Johor Premium Outlets, its first Premium Outlet Center in Southeast Asia.

The center encompasses 173,000 sq. ft. of gross leasable area featuring 80 stores and is located in Johor Bahur, Malaysia. A grand opening celebration will take place on December 11, 2011.

Los Angeles -- Guess Inc. said Wednesday that profit for the quarter ended Oct. 29 fell 4% as the clothing company's tax rate increased. The chain reported net income of $66.3 million, compared with $69.1 million in the year-ago period. The company's effective tax rate rose to 32.3% during the quarter from 29.1% a year earlier. As a result, the incomes taxes Guess paid rose 5% to $31.9 million.

Everett, Wash. -- Zumiez Inc. reported Thursday that net income for the quarter ended Oct. 29 rose 14.8% to $14.1 million, from $12.3 million in the prior fiscal year.

Revenue climbed 13.3% to $154 million from $135.9 million, and same-store sales grew 6%.

“We are pleased with the current pace of growth for our business and believe our product assortment has us well positioned for the remainder of the holiday selling period," said Rick Brooks, CEO.

ISSAQUAH, Wash. — The nation’s leading warehouse club operator maintained its momentum in November by posting a 6% increase in same-store sales at U.S. clubs excluding the beneficial effect of higher year-over-year gas prices.