Mergers & Acquisitions

Cleveland – Stark Enterprises announced the addition of Stark Capital Group. The new division will provide comprehensive real estate capital markets solutions with an emphasis on equity and debt placements, principal acquisitions and asset management. 

Nico Bolzan will serve as executive director of SCG. Bolzan will lead efforts to raise both equity and debt financing through a variety of private and institutional capital sources on a national level.  

Downers Grove, Ill. – FTD Companies Inc. was provided a substantial financial boost in the second quarter of fiscal 2015 as a result of its December 2014 acquisition of floral gifting company Provide Commerce. The added business helped almost quadruple net income to $17.8 million from $4.7 million in the same period the previous fiscal year.

Consolidated revenues were $365.8 million, roughly double $168.1 million. New revenue from Provide Commerce, as well as increases in consumer and florist revenue, drove the sales growth.

San Francisco -- JLL has tapped an industry veteran from one of the world’s largest retail chains to drive its global business strategy and cross-border expansion.

The company named David Zoba as chairman of its Global Retail Leasing Board, effective immediately. Zoba brings 30 years of experience to the firm and most recently served as senior VP of global real estate and store development at Gap Inc., which he joined in 2009.

New York -- The nation’s premier luxury department store company wants to return to the public arena.

Neiman Marcus Group has filed plans for an initial public offering — for the second time in two years — of $100 million (the sum is a placeholder that doesn’t necessarily reflect the final offering amount.) The company said it would trade under the ticker symbol NMG.

Neiman Marcus plans to grow sales by investing in technology, working with new designers and expanding its footprint, according to IPO paperwork the retailer filed with the SEC.

Boot Barn says its integration of the Sheplers chain helped the company report is 23rd consecutive increase in quarterly same store sales.

Fast-growing Kriser's Natural Pet store is expanding in the Chicago area as the retailer looks to leverage what has become a $58 billion industry.

Kriser's is bringing the natural pet movement to the west suburbs of Chicago with a grand opening in Naperville on Aug. 15-16, at 8 W. Gartner Rd., in the Naperville Plaza, across from Trader Joe's. A second grand opening will take place in Northbrook on Aug. 29-30, at the new North Shore 770 mixed-use complex, at 780 Skokie Blvd. alongside the new Mariano's.

Grand Rapids, Mich. -- Meijer is on the move in Wisconsin.  

Continuing an estimated $750 million investment in Wisconsin, Meijer on Tuesday opened two more superstores in the state. The retailer announced plans to open two to three new Wisconsin locations per year through 2019.

Meijer, which now operates 222 stores, entered Wisconsin just six weeks ago, with two stores. The retailer traditionally focused its growth on five states: Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Kentucky.

New York -- Petco Animal Supplies may be headed for an initial public offering or sale.

The retailer has selected Goldman Sachs Group to help with an IPO or sale that could value the pet supplies retailer between $4 billion and $5 billion, including debt, Reuters reported.

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Concord, Calif. -- It’s changing of the guard time at the 157-store BevMo!.

BevMo! announced that Dimitri Haloulos has been appointed CEO, effective Sept. 1. Haloulos, who joined Albertsons Safeway in 2011 and most recently served as senior VP of Own Brands, has spent his career in the consumer packaged goods (CPG) and retail space as an executive in sales, marketing and research across a number of global brands