Trading Partners

Office Depot has chosen Boca Raton, Fla., for its global headquarters.

The company took several factors into account, including the cost to operate each headquarters location, lease obligations and sublease considerations, tax implications, government incentives, ability to add associates and incorporate functions in the current space, and people-related costs.

New York -- Fifth & Pacific Companies will sell its Lucky Brand Jeans division to an affiliate of Leonard Green & Partners for $225 million as it focuses on its fast-growing Kate Spade brand.

"We believe that by focusing all of our resources on the huge opportunity at Kate Spade, we can deliver the strongest value creation opportunity for our shareholders,” said William L. McComb, CEO of Fifth & Pacific (formerly known as Liz Claiborne). “This is all about bringing Kate Spade to its full potential.”

Arlington, Va. – Supermarket industry trade group Food Marketing Institute (FMI) will exclusively endorse and encourage the use of ReposiTrak among its food retail and wholesale members.

Under a new joint agreement, ReposiTrak will be the exclusive solution provider endorsed by FMI in connection with the food and drug safety traceability of goods and related services, including document management. FMI will introduce ReposiTrak to its members, which operate nearly 40,000 stores and 25,000 pharmacies.

Stanley Black & Decker has added Debra Crew, president of PepsiCo Americas Beverages, to its board of directors. Crew joined PepsiCo in 2010 as president of the western region of PepsiCo Europe, and was promoted in 2012.

Prior to PepsiCo, she held a number of management and leadership roles at Mars, Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream and Kraft Foods.

The Westfield Group has agreed to purchase the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey’s remaining 50% interest in the World Trade Center’s retail square footage. The purchase price is US$800 million. Following the transaction, expected to close early next year, Westfield will own 100% of the retail space, which totals 365,000 sq. ft.

New York — RKF has opened an office in Toronto and named Steven Alikakos president, Canada. RKF’s Canadian expansion comes just weeks after the firm formalized an affiliation with the U.K.-based retail consulting firm CWM Retail Property Advisors.

A growing number of American retailers have launched stores north of the border in recent years, a trend expected to continue. Likewise, the U.S. has seen a wave of expansions from Canadian retailers. RKF hopes to play a role in sustaining and accelerating cross-border retail migration.

Oak Brook, Ill. -- The Inland Real Estate Group of Cos. has been named the recipient of the 2014 Torch Award for Marketplace Ethics by the Better Business Bureau.

The award was presented at the 17th Annual BBB Awards Luncheon Ceremony at the InterContinental Hotel in Rosemont, Ill.  

This is the second Torch Award for Marketplace Ethics that Inland has received from the BBB. The company was presented with its first Torch Award for Marketplace Ethics in 2009. Last year’s winner was The Boeing Co.

New York -- Eddie Lambert’s ESL Partners has reduced the size of its stake in Sears Holdings Corp. disclosing in a regulatory filing on that it now owns 48.4% of its shares, down from 55.4%.

In a statement, Lampert said that his fund had distributed 7.4 million shares in Sears to investors who wanted to withdraw money from his firm.  He said that he had not sold any of his personal holdings.