Strategy

Seattle -- Starbucks Corp.’s net income surged a better-than-expected 18% in its fiscal second quarter, as its store traffic increased in most parts of the world. The coffee giant also raised its forecast for the year on the results and said it was accelerating its growth.

For the three months ended April 1, the company earned $309.9 million, compared with a profit of $261.6 million in the year-ago quarter. Revenue rose to $3.2 billion, up from $2.79 billion a year ago. Same-store sales increased 7%.

Ontario, Calif. -- Westwood Financial Corp. has sold Pacific Plaza Shopping Center located at in Ontario, Calif., for $7.4 million.

“This transaction is the latest in our firm’s overall plan to rebalance our portfolio, as the funds generated here will be reinvested in grocery-anchored properties in the Southeast,” said Westwood financial executive VP Joe Dykstra.

Bentonville, Ark. -- Walmart announced that its Acres for America program is conserving an additional 300 acres of land to protect and restore wildlife habitats in the heart of U.S. cities, including Bridgeport, Chicago, Portland, San Diego, and Washington, D.C.

Hoffman Estates, Ill. -- Sears Holdings announced the launch of a wholly owned subsidiary called MetaScale, that will provide data-management services.

Sears sees the venture as a natural expansion of the resources it has spent to build the infrastructure it needs to manage data for its more than 4,000 Sears and Kmart stores nationwide.

BENTONVILLE, Ark. — Walmart is working hard to improve its image with its latest announcement that its Acres for America program is conserving an additional 300 acres of land to protect and restore wildlife habitats in the heart of U.S. cities, including Bridgeport, Chicago, Portland, San Diego, and Washington, D.C.

New York -- GE Capital, Corporate Finance announced it is administrative agent for a $70 million asset-based credit facility for Le Château, a leading Canadian specialty retailer and apparel manufacturer. The loan will be used to refinance existing debt and support working capital needs.

Oak Brook, Ill. -- Ace Hardware ranked highest in customer satisfaction in the J.D. Power and Associates 2012 U.S. Home Improvement Retailer Store Satisfaction Study. Ace has taken the top spot ever since J.D. Powers began researching the home improvement category six years ago.

New York -- VF Corp. said Friday that its first-quarter profit rose 9%, helped by last year’s acquisition of Timberland and global demand for its brands from North Face to Vans.

Net income rose to $215.2 million, from $200.7 million a year earlier. Revenue was up 31% to $2.56 billion.