Mergers & Acquisitions

Regional discount retailer Shopko will experience its most dramatic growth in many years later this month when its Hometown stores division takes over locations from the now defunct Alco Stores chain.

Samsung Electronics Co. has thrown another hat into the mobile payment ring with its recent smartphone launch.

The company has unveiled two new flagship Galaxy smartphones and a mobile payments system in partnership with MasterCard. The new Samsung Pay will enable MasterCard cardholders to use their new Samsung Galaxy S6 phones for everyday in-store purchases. (Both phones will ship with the technology built-in.)

Columbia Sportswear Co. is re-aligning its executive ranks in order to drive sustainable and profitable growth.

“Strong momentum behind each of our largest brands drove our global net sales to more than $2.1 billion in 2014 and is expected to fuel continued double-digit currency-neutral growth in 2015,” Chief Executive Officer Tim Boyle said. “The leadership changes that we are announcing today are intended to position us to secure the significant global growth potential that we believe exists within each of the brands in our portfolio.”

San Francisco  -- Gap Inc. is looking to add a little pink magic to its product design — and is bringing back a company veteran to do it. The retailer has named Wendi Goldman, creator of Victoria’s Secret “Pink” marketing/merchandising campaign, as executive VP of product design and development, effective March 16.

New York – A state appeals court in New York has revived two claims Macy’s Inc. made against J.C. Penney Co. Inc. in a long-running dispute between the two department store chains about who has the right to sell Martha Stewart Living home products.   

 According to Reuters, in a unanimous decision, judges in the Manhattan Appellate Division ruled that Penney breached confidentiality provisions of Macy’s contract with Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia and Penney’s actions amounted to unfair competition.

San Antonio, Texas – Net income soared on rising margins in fuel and consumer packaged goods at convenience/fuel retailer CST Brands Inc. in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2014. Net income rose 176% to $94 million from $34 million in the same quarter a year earlier.

Revenues dropped 13% to $2.7 billion from $3.06 billion. For the full fiscal year, net income rose 44% to $200 million from $139 million. Revenues fell 4% to $12.18 billion from $12.78 billion.

Chicago – Charles Talbot, CFO of food service retailer Potbelly Corp., is leaving the company for a position outside the restaurant industry. Talbot will continue to serve as Potbelly's CFO while an external search is underway, until his departure on March 27.

Seattle - Blue Nile, Inc. has added Robert van Schoonenberg to its board of directors, effective Feb. 23. van Schoonenberg is chairman and CEO of BayPoint Capital Partners LLC, a private equity firm, and a co-managing partner of AmeriCap Partners LLC, a growth capital investment firm.

Prior to sale of the company to a strategic investor in June 2010, he was an investor in and served as chairman of Premiere Entertainment LLC, a company in the business of digital broadcast production.

New York -- These are tough times for discount grocery stores — unless the company happens to be the fast-growing Aldi. Pittsburgh-based supermarket operator Giant Eagle plans to close all eight of its Good Cents Grocery + More stores. The closures are set for March 26.

Chicago -- JLL announced the expansion of its retail team with the addition of Bill Moston. Moston joins JLL as a senior VP, National Retail Development, and brings nearly 30 years of experience to JLL. He will be based out of the firm’s Chicago office.

In his new role, Moston will be responsible for advising JLL’s clients and executing on ground-up retail projects, redevelopments and renovations across the United States, as well as managing anchor store negotiations and tenant coordination.