Trading Partners

DALLAS — On orders of the U.S. Department of Defense, The Army and Air Force Exchange Service, will for the first time in its 116-year history, name a civilian to the role of CEO/director.

Until such a person is named, COO Mike Howard will take over as acting CEO/director as the organization’s board of directors seeks a permanent replacement. 

New York -- Dollar General Corp. will buy back about $300 million in shares from Buck Holdings L.P., the company's controlling shareholder.

The repurchase deal with Buck Holdings is part of the company's previously announced $500 million stock buyback program, Dollar General said in a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

North Plainfield, N.J. -- Levin Management announced that it has named Joe Lowry as director of acquisitions and business development for the company.

The 25-year commercial real estate industry veteran joined Levin in 2009 as director of acquisitions. His added responsibilities reflect the firm’s ongoing focus on adding new clients from among institutions, fund managers and private owners it does not already serve.

WASHINGTON — The National Retail Federation has appointed a new VP communications.

Effective Apr. 9, Katie Wilson will be responsible for overseeing NRF’s industry efforts, a multitude of communication vehicles and advancing NRF advocacy priorities on issues important to the retail community, NRF said. She will assume many of the responsibilities of Ellen Davis, who was recently named NRF SVP and executive director of the NRF Foundation.

New York -- 7-Eleven Inc. plans to open 15 to 20 stores this year in the Jacksonville, Fla., market and 80 locations by 2015, according to the Florida Times-Union.

Dallas -- The Neiman Marcus Group said Thursday that it will invest $28 million in Glamour Sales Holding, a Shanghai-based e-commerce company, as part of its strategy to gain a foothold in the Asian e-commerce marketplace.

“We are taking this bold step to establish Neiman Marcus Group as an international brand,” said Karen Katz, president and CEO, Neiman Marcus Group.

Minneapolis -- Best Buy Co. said Wednesday that the U.S. District Court has dismissed putative securities fraud class actions against the retailer and three of its officers.

With regard to the class action lawsuit filed last year, the court on Tuesday dismissed all counts for lack of substantiation.

CINCINNATI — Long-time Kroger executive Tim Brown will now be responsible for stores in Western Tennessee, Kentucky, Mississippi, Arkansas and Missouri as president of the company's Delta division.

Brown, 52, has been VP operations in the company's division, based in Roanoke, Va., since 2011; before that he served as the Mid-Atlantic division's vice president of merchandising since 2009.