Mergers & Acquisitions

Secaucus, N.J. – The Children’s Place Retail Stores has expanded its existing franchise agreement with Fawaz A. AlHokair & Co. SJSC covering retail stores in Saudi Arabia, to include opening a total of approximately 25 stores in Egypt and the Commonwealth of Independent States (C.I.S. Region) of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia and Kazakhstan, beginning in mid-2014.

Oak Brook, Ill. -- Ace Hardware Corporation has appointed Tom Knox, 59, as president and CEO of Westlake Ace Hardware, Ace’s largest cooperative comprising 85 stores. Knox will be leaving his role as VP, retail business development, training & supply at Ace’s corporate offices and relocating to the Kansas City area to pursue his new role.

New York -- Hess Retail Corporation, a wholly-owned subsidiary of global energy company Hess Corporation, has filed a Form 10 Registration Statement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The form contains a preliminary information statement about the potential terms and conditions of a spin-off of Hess Retail Corporation to the stockholders of Hess Corporation.

Former Kohl’s and Carhartt merchandising executive Sue Fuller was named chief merchandising officer at Vera Bradley, an upscale retailer and designer brand looking to restore growth under the leadership of new CEO Robert Wallstrom.

Nehausen, Switzerland -- Tyco Retail Solutions, a provider of retail performance and security solutions, has entered into a patent license agreement with Round Rock Research, LLC regarding RFID solutions. The agreement resolves the involvement of some Tyco retail clients in a patent infringement suit Round Rock filed in January 2012.

New York -- On Tuesday, Mexican retail company Grupo Gigante said in a regulatory filing that it will list shares in Office Depot de Mexico, the local division of the U.S. office-supply chain it purchased last year.

The listing would be public in Mexico and private in the United States and other markets.

ChannelAdvisor, a leading provider of cloud-based e-commerce solutions, has appointed Diana Semel Allen as VP and general counsel. In her new role, Allen will oversee the company’s worldwide legal functions, including regulatory compliance, commercial affairs, mergers and acquisitions, litigation and intellectual property management.

The nation’s largest arts and crafts retailer plans to go public this year and the launch of a new ecommerce platform that gives Michaels Stores long overdue online sales capabilities is a key element of its growth strategy.