Strategy

Englewood, Colo. -- Blockbuster L.L.C., will end its retail and by mail DVD distribution operations by early January 2014. The company will close its approximately 300 remaining U.S.-based retail stores, as well as its distribution centers.

Granite Gold’s nationwide distribution expanded with the addition of Shaw’s Supermarkets in the Northeast and Stater Bros. Markets in Southern California.

Shaw’s Supermarkets, which has more than 120 stores throughout Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont, now carries Granite Gold Daily Cleaner and Granite Gold Polish.

Foothill Ranch, Calif. – The Wet Seal reported net sales of $127.7 million during the third quarter of fiscal 2013, down 5.8% from the same quarter in the prior year. In a partial release of third quarter figures, the company also reported a 0.8% increase in same-store sales.

Mount Vernon, Ill. — Sansone Group and Pine Tree Commercial Realty LLC have signed a lease extension with Subway restaurant at Times Square Mall in Mount Vernon, Ill. As part of the extension, Subway will expand its restaurant by approximately 500 sq. ft.

Sansone Group (www.sansonegroup.com) and Pine Tree (www.pinetreecommercial.com) own the 269,328-sq.-ft. center in partnership with the Wanxiang America Real Estate Group.

Payvision, an independent payment services provider, has added JCB Card to its global payment portfolio. As the only international payment card brand based in Japan, JCB has a strong presence in Asia, while processing secure payment transactions for its expanding network of 24 million merchants worldwide.

Washington, D.C. -- Retailers, advertisers and marketers called on Congress today to involve the Federal Trade Commission in efforts to eliminate frivolous patent lawsuits, saying vague letters sent out by “patent trolls” demanding licensing fees amount to unfair and deceptive practices. Patent trolls are companies formed to develop potential patent-infringement lawsuits without manufacturing their own products.

FoodMinds, a food and nutrition consulting and communications agency, has appointed former Campbell Soup executive Juli Mandel Sloves as SVP and Julie Alessi, RD, as a senior account executive.

Sloves, a 12-year veteran of Campbell Soup Company with more than 20 years of communications experience, was most recently senior manager of global R&D communications at Campbell. Prior to that, she led nutrition and wellness communications for Campbell North America brands.

Houston – The Eminence Capital hedge fund has reportedly purchased a 9.8% stake in Men’s Wearhouse. According to the New York Times, Eminence Capital wants Men’s Wearhouse to reconsider the $2.3 billion buyout offer it recently rejected from Jos. A. Bank.

Eminence reportedly believes Jos. A. Bank is willing to make a higher bid if Men’s Wearhouse will consider it. The fund manages about $4.5 billion. Neither Eminence nor Men’s Wearhouse has commented publicly on the purchase.