Mergers & Acquisitions

Minneapolis -- A Thursday report in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune said that Best Buy’s investigations into former CEO Brian Dunn’s personal conduct includes allegations of an inappropriate relationship with a female employee.

According to the newspaper, Dunn is said to have used company resources in the course of the relationship. It quoted an unnamed source as saying “the company is investigating multiple complaints that Dunn behaved inappropriately with a female subordinate.”

Less than a year from today Target’s first stores in Canada open and the company encounters a familiar competitive challenge in Walmart as well as some unfamiliar operators.

New York -- Private equity firm Oak Hill Capital Partners has acquired an 80% ownership stake in the 25-store natural food chain Earth Fare. The deal values the company at $300 million.

MONTREAL — Dollar stores in the United States have seen much success in recent years (check out Retailing Today's report on Dollar General here) and they appear to be doing just as well north of the border.

Indianapolis -- Simon Property Group said Wednesday that, in partnership with Mitsubishi Estate Co., it began construction of Shisui Premium Outlets (Shisui Town, Inba District, Chiba Prefecture), the ninth Premium Outlet Center in Japan.

Phase I, comprising 234,000 sq. ft. of GLA, is scheduled to open in spring 2013 with approximately 100 stores, including international brands, Japanese brands and restaurants. Simon owns a 40% interest in the project.
 

Dallas -- Neiman Marcus Group announced that Joshua Schulman has been appointed president of Bergdorf Goodman, effective May 7.

Schulman, 40, joins Neiman Marcus from Jimmy Choo where he was CEO. In this role, he oversaw the international expansion of the brand and the growth of jimmychoo.com. Prior to Jimmy Choo, Schulman was president, Kenneth Cole New York, and managing director, international strategic alliances, Gap, Inc.

PLANO, Texas — Personnel changes are quite common these days at JCPenney, the latest involving CFO Michael Dastugue,  who is leaving the company effective April 13. The company has named COO Michael Kramer as interim CFO while a search for a new CFO is conducted.

New York -- J.C. Penney Co. on Wednesday said that CFO Michael Dastugue will depart the company, effective April 13. Dastugue, 47, has been at J.C. Penney since 1991. He was named CFO in January 2011. His departure is the latest shake-up in management as new CEO Ron Johnson works to transform the chain.

Mike Kramer, COO, will assume the CFO duties on an interim basis while a search for a replacement is conducted. Kramer joined J.C. Penney in December, shortly after his former boss at Apple Inc., Ron Johnson, became J.C. Penney's CEO.