Strategy

New York City -- The Talbots is in buyout talks with the private-equity firm Sycamore Partners, according to the Boston Herald. The retailer signed a confidentiality agreement on Friday with the New York-based Sycamore, its second largest shareholder with 10% of the company, according to documents filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the report said.

Deerfield, Ill. -- Walgreens will acquire the prescription files and inventory from 33 Kmart pharmacies in 16 states.

Walgreens will purchase the pharmacy patient files and transfer them to nearby Walgreens pharmacies. Patients whose prescription files are being transferred and who have had a prescription filled within the last two years will be notified by letter once the transaction has been completed later in February.
 

Pleasanton, Calif. -- Safeway Inc. named Lori Raya as president of its Vons division.

In her most recent position as senior VP, Main Meal, Raya had responsibility for the company's largest portfolio of center-store business units including ingredients, beverages and snacks.

Birmingham, Ala. -- Hibbett Sports announced that Gary A. Smith, senior VP and CFO is retiring effective June 1, 2012. The company has started a search for his replacement.

Smith joined Hibbett in April 2001 as VP and CFO when the company had 282 stores in 19 states, predominantly in the Southeast. Today, Hibbett has over 800 stores in 26 states.
 

Woodland Hills, Calif. -- Landmark Retail Group, a subsidiary of NewMark Merrill Cos., announced that Clay Toombs has joined the company as senior project manager, responsible for overseeing development projects from design through entitlement approvals, permitting and construction.

Toombs previously worked for Evergreen Devco Inc. as senior project manager.
 

Chalfont, Pa. -- Brixmor Property Group announced a 3,200-sq.-ft. Anytime Fitness recently opened at New Britain Village Square, located in Chalfont, Pa. 

Brixmor, based in New York City, is the owner of New Britain Village Square.

New York City -- In a break with longstanding company tradition, Walmart is moving its greeters from its lobbies into the stores near the cash registers, Bloomberg reported.

In their new location, the greeters will be able to direct shoppers to products they are looking for, and also to shorter checkout lines, the report said.

West Bridgewater, Mass. -- Shaw’s Supermarkets has reopened its store in Ludlow, Vt. The store had been closed after being severely damaged by flooding in the wake of Tropical Storm Irene.

In addition to repairing the damage from the flooding, Shaw’s invested additional resources to remodel the store, including expanding the store to 19,000 sq. ft., upgrading equipment and adding to offerings in several key categories.

Seattle -- Starbucks Coffee Corp. has entered into a joint venture with Tata Global Beverages Limited that will result in the opening of the first-ever Starbucks locations in India. The 50/50 joint venture, called TATA Starbucks Limited, will own and operate Starbucks cafés, which will be branded as Starbucks Coffee “A Tata Alliance.” (Tata Global Beverages is the world’s second largest tea company and Asia’s largest coffee plantation company.)

Paris -- Carrefour, the second largest retailer in the world after Wal-Mart Stores, has selected French retailing veteran Georges Plassat, 62, as its next CEO and chairman.