Mergers & Acquisitions

Dallas - Corner Bakery Cafe plans to open 13 new stores in greater Cleveland. The retailer has entered into its first area development agreement in the state of Ohio.

New York -- A. Alfred Taubman, a real estate developer who is credited with inventing the modern indoor shopping center, has died. The 91-year-old Taubman died Friday evening of a heart attack at his Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, home.

The announcement was made over the weekend by his son, Robert Taubman, chairman, president and CEO of Taubman Centers Inc., in a statement to employees.

A. Alfred Taubman, the father of the modern indoor shopping mall, has died. He was 91.

The announcement was made over the weekend by his son, Robert Taubman, the chairman, president and chief executive officer of Taubman Centers Inc. Taubman said his father suffered a heart attack.

Staples Inc. has made a change in a key executive position even as the company awaits regulatory approval for a pending merger with Office Depot.

Staples said it has named Peter J. Scala as executive vice president, merchandising, effective immediately. Scala will report to Demos Parneros, president, North American stores and online, and will be a member of the company’s executive committee.

Phoenix -- Sprouts Farmers Market said it has completed a new five-year, $450 million revolving credit facility to replace its existing term loan and revolving credit facility.

Oak Brook, Ill. - Inland American Real Estate Trust Inc. has changed its name to InvenTrust Properties Corp., effective immediately. The company’s new website address is Inventrustproperties.com.

Chattanooga, Tenn. - CBL & Associates Properties Inc. and Horizon Group Properties Inc. have begun construction on the second phase of The Outlet Shoppes at Atlanta. The 33,000-sq.-ft. expansion is scheduled to open before the 2015 holiday season and will bring several popular retailers to the center, including Gap Outlet and Banana Republic.

Corporate identities don’t get more generic than Brown Shoe Company which helps explain the shift to a new name but most customers won’t even notice.

Shares of Etsy enjoyed a meteoric rise during their first day of trading on April 16, closing at $30 a share after shares in the initial public offering were priced at $16.

Brooklyn, N.Y. – Etsy Inc., the online marketplace for handmade arts, crafts and clothing, has gone public with a bang. Shares opened on Thursday at $31 a share, almost twice their initial public offering price. As of April 16, Etsy is trading on the NASDAQ stock exchange under the ticker symbol “ETSY.”

After the offering, the total number of shares outstanding will be 110.9 million. Based on the opening price, Etsy is valued at over $3.7 billion.