Mergers & Acquisitions

Former Toys “R” Us president Neil Friedman has joined toy manufacturer Alex Brands as president and CEO.

Friedman has been appointed to the Alex Brands board of directors earlier this year.  Prior to that he was president of the U.S. division at Toys “R” Us and also served as president at Mattel Brands, Fisher-Price Brands, Tyco Preschool and MCA/Universal Merchandising. Friedman is a member of the Toy Industry Hall of Fame and the International Licensing Industry Merchandiser’s Association’s Hall of Fame. 

San Diego –- PriceSmart Inc. reported net income of $21.9 million in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2014, up 5% from $20.8 million in the same quarter the prior fiscal year. However, this was still beneath Wall Street expectations. However, PriceSmart beat Wall Street projections with total revenue of $622.6 million, a 5% hike from $585.4 million. The addition of two new warehouse stores, bringing the total to 33, helped boost revenues.

Fort Worth, Texas -- Harry J. Wilson, founder and CEO of The MAEVA Group, will serve as the chief revitalization officer of RadioShack, reporting to RadioShack CEO Joe Magnacca and the RadioShack board. The MAEVA Group, a specialist in corporate restructurings, will provide advisory services to RadioShack's board of directors and management as the company moves forward with its operational and financial turnaround efforts.    

Menlo Park, Calif. –- Net income soared 90% to $806 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2014 from $425 million in the same quarter a year earlier, as part of strong overall performance by Facebook Inc. A sharp increase in operating income helped drive the net income growth.  

Brentwood, Tenn. –- Tractor Supply Company has entered the Utah market with the opening of a store in Perry City, Utah. The store officially opened on Saturday, Oct. 25 and holds its grand opening Saturday, Nov. 1. The new store is 21,930-sq.-ft. and employs approximately 15 team members. Tractor Supply Company now operates more than 1,360 stores in 49 states and employs more than 19,000 workers across the country.

New York -- Brixmor Property Group Inc. has provided an update on its ongoing program to maximize value in its shopping center portfolio. These initiatives involve upgrading its centers' merchandise mix with strong, best-in-class anchors to drive higher sales, traffic and small shop leasing, while elevating center appeal to improve rent levels and shopping center net operating income.   

Denver -– Legend Retail Group a provider of representation of retail tenants and landlords throughout the Denver metro area, has added a component to the firm’s list of client services: Legend Investment Group.    

Minato, Japan –- Japanese telecom/technology investment firm Softbank is reportedly planning to invest $10 billion in Indian e-commerce players during the next 10 years.   According to TheStreet.com, Softbank’s investments will include $627 million into Indian e-commerce platform Snapdeal.