Trading Partners

Dallas -- Tuesday Morning Corp. announced Monday that it has named Michael Rouleau as its interim CEO, effective immediately.

Rouleau, who served as president and CEO of Michaels Stores from 1996 to 2006, joined Tuesday Morning’s board last November. He will lead the clearance retailer until it hires a permanent CEO.

New York -- A Friday report by Reuters revealed that J.C. Penney CEO Ron Johnson was well aware that the retailer’s deal with Martha Stewart would step on Macy’s toes, but testified in court that the company decided to move forward anyway.

Attorneys for Macy’s in New York state court on Friday presented Johnson with an email he sent to a Penney board member saying that Stewart would have to break her agreement with Macy’s if Johnson was going to “pull off” a deal with her.

BERKELEY, Calif. — Annie's Inc., a manufacturer of natural and organic food, announced that Lawrence (Larry) Peiros has been appointed to its board of directors effective immediately. David Behnke, a managing director at Najeti Ventures, resigned from the board to pursue other interests. Peiros was appointed to the Board to fill the vacancy. 

New York -- Marks & Spencer, one of the leading retailers in the United Kingdom, is set to unveil a new property lease policy under which all new M&S stores will have ‘green’ clauses as standard enabling landlords and tenants to better manage a building's environmental performance.

Stanley Black & Decker said it completed its acquisition of Infastech, a global manufacturer and distributor of specialty engineered fastening technologies.

Stanley paid $850 million in cash for the Hong Kong-based company. The transaction was originally announced on July 2, 2012. 

Infastech’s annual revenues are about $580 million. 

NEW YORK — Luxury fashion house J. Mendel has announced that Susan Sokol will step down as president and COO of the company, and will transition her duties over the coming weeks.

Sokol joined J. Mendel as president and COO in 2008. During her almost five year tenure at the company, Sokol was integral to the expansion of J. Mendel's ready-to-wear, which now accounts for 60% of its wholesale business, and to entering the brand into new international markets.

Toronto -- Sears Canada Inc. reported Wednesday that profit for the fourth quarter dipped 3% to $38.8 million on weakened hardware and electronics sales.

Revenue fell 5% to$1.25 billion in the period, and same-store sales dropped 3.8%.

Parent Sears Holdings Corp., which cut its stake in Sears Canada from 90% to 51% last year, said in January that Sears Canada's fourth quarter adjusted earnings would fall by about half.

Boca Raton, Fla. -- Office Depot largest shareholder Starboard Value said Wednesday it sent a letter to the office supply retailer’s board, urging it to sell its 50% joint-venture interest in the Office Depot de Mexico business as soon as possible.

Starboard, which owns a 14.8% stake in Office Depot, said it believes the value of the JV interest is not fully reflected in the retailer's stock price.

NEW YORK — Terry Lundgren, CEO of Macy’s, took the stand on Monday to testify in the trial of two Macy's lawsuits regarding the deal between JCPenney and Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia Inc. The long-awaited trial began last Wednesday, in New York Supreme Court.

The trial is about whether Macy’s has the exclusive right to sell Martha Stewart branded cookware, bedding and certain other products. 

Insight Beverages has named Sharon Porter as director of national sales effective Feb. 25, 2013. 

“As director of national sales, Sharon will lead our organization in its efforts to expand our core convenience store business, distribution and national accounts.  We are very excited to have a person of Sharon’s caliber at our company as we continue to expand our business in convenience stores and other foodservice channels,” said Bill Flack, VP sales for Insight Beverages.