Strategy

Bebe Stores had a difficult second quarter. The company reported a net loss of $5.5 million, which it said was partly fueled by declining mall traffic and an aggressive promotional environment across the industry.

Net sales declined 4.1% to $130 million, from $135.5 million reported for the second quarter a year ago. Same-store sales decreased 1.9%.

CEO Steve Birkhold acknowledged challenges, but cited sequential improvement in same-store sales and holiday sales, as well.

Virginia Beach, Va. — Ingenuity Development has entered into a strategic alliance with a New York Stock Exchange-traded Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) to combine forces on joint venture opportunities for retail and mixed-use projects in the Mid-Atlantic and the Southeast. Ingenuity will also see opportunities to work with its affiliate, Divaris Real Estate, to lease and manage completed projects.

Former Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., president and CEO Mike Duke is among an impressive roster of top business executives slated to participate in a Wall Street Journal executive conference called ECO:nomics — Creating Environmental Capital.

The event, scheduled for April 2-4 at the Bacara Resort in Santa Barbara, Calif., is billed as a day of no holds barred interviews in an interactive format that offers unparalleled networking.

New York — Lao Feng Xiang Jewelry has signed a long-term lease for its first North American retail store and showroom at 585 Fifth Avenue in New York City. Slated to open in the fall of 2014, the 6,100-sq.-ft. flagship store will feature three floors plus a basement. The jeweler has more than 2,300 sales outlets around the world.

Winick Realty Group represented the owner, TSW 33 Realty Corp. in the transaction, achieving a record rent that edged close to the record asking price of $2.25 million per year. CBRE represented Lao Feng Xiang.

San Diego - For the month of January 2014, net sales at PriceSmart increased 11.5% to $193.5 million from $173.5 million in January a year earlier. For the four weeks ended Jan. 26, 2014, same-store sales for the 30 warehouse clubs open at least 13 1/2 full months increased 8.4%, compared to the same four-week period last year.

There were 32 warehouse clubs in operation at the end of January 2014, compared to 30 warehouse clubs in operation in January 2013.

New York -- Private equity firm KKR & Co. will acquire National Vision Inc. from Berkshire Partners.

National Vision, which focuses on low-cost glasses and contacts, operates more than 750 retail locations under names that include America's Best Contacts & Eyeglasses and Eyeglass World. It also has stores inside Wal-Mart Stores Inc, Fred Meyer, and military bases.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed. The management team of National Vision is expected to remain a significant investor in the company, KKR said.

The Estée Lauder Cos., whose brands include Aveda, Bumble and Bumble, American Beauty, Flirt! and M•A•C Cosmetics, has appointed Guillaume Jesel to the newly created position of SVP/general manager, Global Corporate Innovation.

Jesel will transition from his current role as SVP global and North America marketing for M•A•C Cosmetics to his new position, effective March 31. In his position, Jesel will report to Carl Haney, EVP global research and development, corporate product innovation, package development for Estée Lauder Co.

By Dwayne Melancon, chief technology officer, Tripwire