Trading Partners

Sam’s Club members are in for a slew of new services when the retailer launches its lending center this week.

SmartBiz, the exclusive platform for SBA-guaranteed loans for the Sam’s Club Business Lending Center, will provide qualifying Sam’s Club business members with SBA loans with low monthly payments, single digit interest rates, and a simple, streamlined application process.

In addition, SmartBiz developed and runs the technology platform that drives the Sam’s Club Business Lending Center, now available at SamsClub.com/services.

Dollar Tree has agreed to sell 330 of its stores to the private-equity firm Sycamore Partners in order to get regulatory approval for its $8.5 billion purchase of Family Dollar.

Sycamore Partners intends to operate the 330 stores, which represent approximately $45.5 million of operating income for Family Dollar, under the Dollar Express banner.

Fairfax, Va. – Geeknet Inc. has determined that an acquisition offer from an unnamed strategic bidder of $20 per share, or about $134.6 million, is superior to a previous offer from Hot Topic of $17.50 per share, or about $117.3 million.

CHESAPEAKE, Va. -- Dollar Tree on Friday announced it had reached an agreement to sell private equity firm Sycamore Partners a divestiture package of 330 Family Dollar Stores locations, with the deal contingent on the completion of Dollar Tree’s pending acquisition of Family Dollar.  Sycamore Partners intends to operate the 330 stores, which represent approximately $45.5 million of operating income for Family Dollar, under the Dollar Express banner.

Goodlettsville, Tenn. -- Dollar General Corp. on Thursday named Todd J. Vasos, COO, to the position of chief executive, effective June 3. He has also been elected to the board.

Vasos will succeed Rick Dreiling, chairman and CEO, who had previously announced his retirement plans. Dreiling will remain on the board for the remainder of his term and will serve as senior advisor and chairman of the board through January 29, 2016.

The election of Vasos to Dollar General’s board will bring the total number of directors to nine.

Dollar General elevated COO Todd Vasos to the role of CEO, filling a position held by Rick Dreiling who is sticking to his original retirement timetable after losing out to Dollar Tree in the bidding for Family Dollar.

The Walmart shareholders meeting is next week and while the event is great for the retailer’s associates, suppliers looking for deeper insight into new priorities and key initiatives will be better served by attending a more content rich event the following week.

That’s when the Center for Retailing Excellence in the Sam M. Walton College of Business at the University of Arkansas plans to hold its annual Emerging Trends in Retail conference. The event, scheduled for Thursday, June 11, is especially noteworthy for several reasons this year.

Walmart and the attorney for comedian Tracy Morgan reached a confidential settlement agreement of a lawsuit stemming from an accident involving a Walmart truck and the vehicle in which Morgan was riding.

Walmart and Benedict P. Morelli, attorney for Tracy Morgan, Ardley Fuqua, and Jeffrey Millea reached a settlement agreement ending the lawsuit against Walmart that arose from a multi-vehicle accident involving the men on June 7, 2014, on the New Jersey Turnpike.