Strategy

Hackettstown, N.J. -- Marshalls has leased 21,675 sq. ft. at Mansfield Commons in Hackettstown, New Jersey, according to center owner National Realty & Development Corp., Purchase, New York.

The 271,980-sq.-ft. Mansfield Commons is anchored by Walmart and Kohl’s, and is located on Route 57.

Monroe, Mich. - La-Z-Boy Inc. has appointed Barbara J. Runyon as chief human resources officer. She will join the company on Feb. 2 and provide leadership and oversight for talent management, employee engagement, workforce development, and compensation and benefits.

Runyon joins La-Z-Boy from PepsiCo/The Pepsi Bottling Group, where she spent 14 years in various HR positions of increasing responsibility. Most recently, she served as senior director of HR for the company's Midwest region.
 

Long Beach, Calif. -- Epson America, a supplier of value-added POS solutions, announced a partnership with Touch Dynamic, a manufacturer in all-in-one POS systems, to address the growing importance of mobile POS as the overall mobile expansion in retail and hospitality continues.

By bundling Epson’s new ultra-compact Mobilink P20 receipt printer with Touch Dynamic’s new 7" and 10" Quest Tablets specifically designed for mobile POS, merchants can increase sales and improve customer service.

Another mall-based retailer has announced that it is in default and struggling for survival.

Body Central Corp. announced that it is in default on $18 million in debt and is exploring strategic alternatives, the Jacksonville, Florida-based company said in a statement.

The company also said it is experiencing “significant liquidity problems,” and is exploring options, including a possible bankruptcy filing.

A strong 6.9 percent identical store sales increase at Supervalu’s Save-A-Lot stores proved a drain on parent company profits in the third quarter.

Foothill Ranch, Calif. -- The Wet Seal announced it would 338 stores, or about 66% of its total portfolio, “on or about” Jan. 7, resulting in the termination of some 3,695 full and part-time employees. The struggling teen apparel retailer said the decision to close the stores was based on its overall financial condition and an inability to negotiate meaningful concessions from its landlords.   

Oakland, Calif. – Teen lifestyle brand Billabong is positioning its supply chain on the GT Nexus platform to support transformation of its wholesale and retail businesses. Billabong will connect suppliers and trading partners in a cloud-based network to facilitate and automate processes for supply chain financing, order collaboration, invoice management, in-transit visibility and payment management.

Minneapolis -- Supervalu Inc.’s third-quarter profit more than doubled as the supermarket chain experienced sales growth in all three of its business segments. Its results beat analysts' expectations.

Supervalu reported an overall profit of $79 million for the quarter ended Nov. 29, up from $31 million a year earlier. Revenue rose 4.8% to $4.2 billion.