Mergers & Acquisitions

Canton, Mass. – Charges related to the decision by Destination XL Group Inc. to exit the Sears Canada Direct business resulted in the retailer’s net loss growing to $4 million in the second quarter of fiscal 2014, from $1.6 million a year earlier.

Total sales fared better, driven by increased traffic and higher conversion rates, increasing 6% to $103.7 million, compared with $98 million in the second quarter of fiscal 2013.Same-store sales rose 7%.

Hamilton, Bermuda – Sixty-five days of performance from its new Zale division cut net income at Signet Jewelers Ltd. but boosted sales at Signet Jewelers Ltd. in the second quarter of fiscal 2015. Expenses related to the Zale acquisition helped reduced net income 13% to $58 million, from $67.4 million a year earlier.

Nashville, Tenn. – Deferred expenses related to its 2011 purchase of Scotland-based Schuh Group, as well as a change in accounting for bonus for awards, reduced net income at Genesco Inc. to $4.8 million in the second quarter of fiscal 2015, down 43% from the same quarter the previous year.

Denver - The Running Specialty Group, part of The Finish Line Inc. organization, has appointed Bob Wallace as senior advisor, strategic initiatives. Wallace founded specialty running retail chain RunON, which Running Specialty Group purchased in 2012.

Wallace will serve as a key counselor to strategically plan and integrate growth opportunities surrounding industry trends while focusing on attaining operational excellence and being an ambassador to the running community. He entered the specialty running business in 1995.

Goodlettsville, Tenn. -- Dollar General Corp. on Thursday reported earnings of $251.3 million for the second quarter, in line with expectations, even as its sales decelerated. The company also said it still wants to buy Family Dollar Stores, even though the rival discounter rejected Dollar General’s bid of its $8.95 billion offer last week.

Dollar General made the case for the superiority of its Family Dollar takeover bid with the release of second quarter results that revealed consistency as well some deceleration in sales and profit growth.

New York -- AccuStore, a leading provider of site intelligence for retailers and multi-site operators, has added Jan Davis, president and CEO of ShopperTrak, to the board of AccuStore’s parent company, GSP.

Grocery-anchored centers respond to changing consumer tastes and consolidation

As supermarket tenants are challenged to meet the needs of an increasingly diversified and sophisticated consumer base, and given the significant trend toward consolidation, landlords are tasked with delivering top-notch grocery-anchored centers — with a diminishing number of anchors from which to choose.

Add in growing pressure on the grocery segment from competitors in the mass merchandise, discount and even dollar store verticals, plus small — but real — grocery in

Chile is the top destination for emerging market retail expansion, followed by China, where retail sales totaled a whopping $3.7 trillion in 2013, according to the 2014 A.T. Kearney Global Retail Development Index.

With Uruguay, Brazil, Peru, Panama, Colombia, Costa Rica and Mexico also in the index of top emerging economies ready for retail expansion, Latin America continues to show strength as a regional retail growth market.

Express CEO Michael Weiss was optimistic about the retailer’s progress in the second quarter, especially considering the difficult environment the company has been dealing with in recent months.