Mergers & Acquisitions

ROANOKE, Va. — Advance Auto Parts has announced the promotions of Kurt Schumacher to SVP, national field operations and Joe Gonzalez to area SVP.

Schumacher will lead the company's  nearly 3,500 Advance Auto Parts stores and asset protection. Mr. Schumacher will report to Darren Jackson, president and CEO. Gonzalez will lead store operations in Florida, the Southeast, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. He will report to Schumacher.

Chicago -- Chicago high-end fashion retailer Mark Shale said Tuesday it has filed for reorganization bankruptcy.

The 83-year-old company is seeking strategic alternatives, including a partner to fortify the business, according to president Rich Myers.

The three existing stores – all in Chicago – will continue to operate during the reorganization process.

MINNEAPOLIS — Caribou Coffee Co. announced it will be expanding its retail and commercial footprint in the Chicagoland area by teaming up with supermarket operator Jewel-Osco, which is part of the Supervalu company.

Caribou Coffee opened its first retail location within Jewel-Osco's Barrington store last week, with plans to introduce two additional coffeehouses in the grocery's Hoffman Estates and Countryside locations in the near future, as well as five additional coffeehouses within Jewel-Osco in 2013.

Dallas -- 7-Eleven announced today that it has closed a deal to acquire 74 operating convenience stores and two land parcels from Prima Marketing LLC, a 7-Eleven licensee with stores in West Virginia, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Kentucky. The bulk of the stores being purchased are in West Virginia.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Minneapolis -- Supervalu announced that Robert Bly will join the company as president of Shoppers Food and Pharmacy, a 56-store chain in the Baltimore, and Washington, D.C., market.

Bly, 49, most recently served as VP of Kmart and Sears divisions for the Sears Holdings Co. He is expected to begin his new role on Aug. 22 and will report to Chuck Elias, senior VP retail operations.

Bly replaces Tim Lowe, who recently accepted a new leadership role in Supervalu's merchandising organization.
 

LONDON & ROTTERDAM, Netherlands — Unilever has completed the sale of its North America frozen meals business, conducted under the Bertolli and P.F. Chang’s brand names, to ConAgra Foods Inc., for total cash consideration of $267 million, subject to adjustment.

Brisbane, Calif. -- Women's apparel retailer Bebe stores Inc. said Emilia Fabricant, president, has resigned from the company for personal reasons.

Her duties have been taken over by chairman and CEO Manny Mashouf and Renee Bell, the company's head of merchandising. Fabricant joined the company in August 2010.

The company runs 246 stores under the Bebe and 2b Bebe names.
 

Dallas -- Bennigan's Franchising Co. and Brixmor Property Group announced a strategic partnership to add Bennigan's restaurants nationwide into Brixmor's portfolio of shopping centers.

The partnership will include positioning Bennigan's signs at select existing buildings and pad site locations within the Brixmor portfolio of shopping centers, promoting pre-approved restaurant space and franchise opportunities within the company's targeted growth markets.