Trading Partners

New Canaan, Conn. - Stadium Capital Management LLC and its affiliates have notified Big 5 Sporting Goods Corp. that Stadium Capital will nominate three independent candidates to the board of directors of Big 5 at the 2015 annual meeting, expected to be held in June 2015. The nominees are Dominic P. DeMarco, a managing director and co-chief investment officer of SCM and an existing member of the board; Nicholas Donatiello Jr., a consumer, media and technology strategist; and Michael J.

A focus on efficiency and improved customer engagement helped True Value boost same store sales and report its strongest growth in 20 years.

The hardware co-op's total gross billings for fiscal 2014 were $2.015 billion, up 6% compared with the prior year, and the highest in two decades. Same store sales to retailers were up 5.2% on a gross billings basis. Destination True Value retail comps were up 4.8%, and overall same store sales were up 3.1%, the company reported.

Business innovation and technology leader Efficient Collaborative Retail Marketing (ECRM) hosted a category review for Bi-Lo Holdings at ECRM’s Snack & Dry Grocery event in February.

Bi-Lo, which operates approximately 800 stores under the Bi-Lo, Harveys, and Winn-Dixie supermarket banners, met with more than 70 suppliers over three days, including potential participants in its Supplier Diversity Program.

Laval, Canada - Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. is purchasing 21 stores, 151 dealer fuel supply agreements and five development properties through its Circle K Stores Inc. subsidiary from Cinco J Inc. The 21 stores and development properties are located in Texas, while the 151 dealer fuel supply agreements are located in the Texas, Mississippi and Louisiana.

Cary, N.C. - The Pantry Inc. has announced the expiration of the waiting period under the U.S. Hart-Scott-Rondino Act for to the proposed merger between The Pantry and a U.S. subsidiary of Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. Pantry stockholders approved the merger agreement at a special meeting on March 10.

Unusual trading activity in shares of RadioShack prompted the company to issue a public statement reminding speculators the company’s shares are soon likely to be worthless.

Bankrupt companies don’t normally issue such warnings, but the move was prompted by trading in the company’s shares on the OTC Pink exchange under the symbol RSHCQ after the company was delisted from the New York Stock Exchange.

The addition of 700 new stores last year and a 4.9% increase in fourth quarter same store sales helped Dollar General achieve record results and has the company looking to capitalize on the momentum by accelerating what is already the retail industry’s most aggressive new store expansion plan.

Dollar General chairman and CEO Rick Dreilling said the company will add to its 2014 year end store total of 11,789 units in 2015 by opening 730 new stores and remodeling 875 others.

Indianapolis -- Simon Property Group has put out feelers to acquire The Macerich Company, confirmed by a letter from Simon chairman and CEO David Simon to Arthur Coppola, chairman and CEO of Macerich.  

Macerich has not responded to the offer, although the letter from Simon references prior discussions that include a proposal by Simon to acquire all of the outstanding stock of Macerich for $91.00 per share in cash and Simon shares. The total value of the proposed transaction is approximately $22.4 billion.
 

Hangzhou, China – Alibaba Holding Group Inc. is reportedly considering a cash investment in Indian e-commerce platform Snapdeal. According to Reuters, Alibaba is in ongoing negotiations with Snapdeal, but no agreement is imminent.

Alibaba does not hold any direct investments in India, although Alibaba subsidiary Ant Financial purchased 25% of Indian payment services provider Paytm in February 2015.

Phoenix – PetSmart on Wednesday named industry veteran Michael J. Massey as its president and CEO, effective immediately. Massey, who most recently served as CEO and president of Collective Brands Inc., replaces David Lenhardt, who stepped down upon the closing of private equity firm BC Partners’s acquisition of the pet supplies retailer.  Also, BC Partners managing partner Raymond Svider has been appointed non-executive chairman.