Trading Partners

Newport Beach, Calif. -- CB Richard Ellis announced Monday that Scott Riddles has joined the company’s Western Division Retail team as a senior VP. Riddles will be joined by his current team – Derek Fitch, Rob Crumly and Ryan Riddles – and all will be based in the firm’s Newport Beach office.

Riddles comes to CBRE from SRS Real Estate Partners, formerly Staubach Retail, where he was a founding partner.

SAN JOSE, Calif. — eBay reported that it has completed its previously announced acquisition of GSI Commerce, a leading provider of e-commerce and interactive marketing services. The stockholders of GSI approved the adoption of the merger agreement with eBay at the special meeting of stockholders held on June 17 and the merger became effective later that day.

Sam’s is enjoying some solid momentum these days, but a potential buyout of BJ’s Wholesale Club announced Friday morning could create some competitive issues in market where the companies operations overlap.

Of course, that assumes the private equity firms Leonard Green & Partners and CVC Capital Partners, the companies who have joined forces to take BJ’s private, are interested in growing the business and investing in operations as opposed to simply squeezing the 190 unit retailer for cash.

TCP, the Aurora, Ohio-based manufacturer of energy efficient lighting products, has announced that industry veteran Jorge Fernandez will be joining the company in the position of SVP business development. Fernandez comes to TCP from Home Depot, where he led the company’s energy efficient lighting category.

New York City -- Leonard Green & Partners and CVC Capital Partners said Friday they are making a joint buyout bid worth an undisclosed amount for BJ's Wholesale Club. The two private equity firms revealed their plans in a Securities and Exchange Commission filing on Friday. The bid price was not disclosed.

In February, BJ's announced it was exploring a sale. In March, Leonard Green is already the chain's larger shareholder, with a 9.3% stake.

Repeated assurances by Walmart’s most senior executives that their top priority is growing U.S. same-store sales may be reassuring news to investors, but the company’s ability to do so by the end of the year now is a firmly established expectation. This is especially true, given the recent performance of once of the company top grocery competitors.

Bentonville, Ark. -- A report Thursday by Bloomberg said that Wal-Mart Stores is battling rising commodity prices by working with its suppliers to avoid price increases, among other strategies.

“We find creative ways to work around it,” Doug McMillon, president and CEO of Wal-Mart International, told Bloomberg. “First we try to keep our costs as low as we can, secondly work with our supply chain as best we can.”

TOPEKA, Kan. — Matthew Rubel is stepping down as CEO of Collective Brands, the company announced Thursday. Rubel will also give up his role as chairman of the board and as a director for the company. Michael Massey has been named the interim CEO and Scott Olivet has been named the company's non-executive chairman.