Strategy

Let’s say you are a major global retailer, perhaps the largest in the world, and interested in expanding into markets beyond the 28 where you currently have a presence. Is the better strategy to publicly identify new markets of interest and a timetable for entry, thereby elevating asset prices, or to shun deal-making to pursue ample organic growth opportunities in existing markets all the while reserving the right to strike opportunistically when market conditions are most favorable?

Columbus, Ohio -- Victoria's Secret Direct said Thursday that former Giorgio Armani Corp. CEO Bridget Ryan-Berman has been named CEO of the Internet and catalogue division of Victoria's Secret and a subsidiary of Limited Brands.

Ryan-Berman replaces Pia Ferrario, who will remain as CEO through the holiday season and then transition into an advisory role with the company.

Ferrario joined Limited Brands in 1989 and was named CEO of Victoria's Secret Direct in 2007.

Walmart didn’t release a third-quarter same-store sales figure when it held a meeting with financial analysts on Wednesday, but it might as well have. Everything else the company’s senior executives said about the performance of the U.S. stores division indicated the nightmare that has been nine consecutive quarter of negative comps will end on Nov. 15 when quarterly results are reported.

Naperville, Ill. -- OfficeMax on Friday said it is amending two credit lines and consolidated them into a new $650 million revolving credit facility that expires in October 2016.

The two existing agreements included a $700 million U.S. credit facility and a $60 million Canadian facility ($59.1 million U.S.) that were set to expire in July 2012.

There are currently no outstanding borrowings under the facility.
 

New York City -- Target Corp. secured a new $2.25 billion unsecured credit facility, the retailer disclosed Friday in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Target could borrow up to as much as $500 million under the credit agreement. The agreement with Bank of American and Citibank will expire in October of 2016 unless it is extended.

The current facility replaces a prior $2 billion credit agreement.
 

COMMERCE, Calif. — The investment group that agreed to buy 99 Cents Only Stores for $1.6 billion must be pleased with the discounter's second-quarter results.

99 Cents Only Stores reported total sales of $363 million for the second quarter, an increase of 8.8% over total sales of $333.6 million for the same quarter last year. Same-store sales for the quarter were up 6.7%. The number of same-store-sales transactions increased 4.7% and the average transaction size increased to $9.62 from $9.44, the company reported.

Minneapolis -- Target Corp. said Thursday that the president of Target.com, Steve Eastman, has departed the company to pursue other opportunities.

The retailer said the decision is unrelated to the performance of its online business. However, the crash of its website last month during the launch of its exclusive Missoni collection led to much criticism.

Eastman is the second major executive to leave Target this month.

Although Walmart won’t provide official fourth-quarter sales guidance until Nov. 15 when it releases third-quarter sales, company executives sounded very bullish about Walmart’s prospects for holiday success and longer-term growth during an all-day meeting with financial analysts on Wednesday.