Corporate Governance

Macy's and Sears are by no means the only department store companies with valuable real estate.    Activist investor Snow Capital Partners has built a position in Dillard's Inc. and is planning to push for changes at the retailer, including unlocking the value of its real estate portfolio, Bloomberg reported.  

The willow is associated with weeping, and the appearance of WillowTree Plaza in Cookeville, Tennessee, is certainly sad by modern standards. But now the center near Tennessee Tech University has a new owner and, soon, will get a new look.   Boca Raton-based Fimiani Partners has purchased the 110,000-sq.-ft. center for $4.2 million and plans to invest in a new roof, a repaved parking lot, and a new paint job for Willow Tree.  

Godiva has opened its first in-store cafe in the United States, in Manhattan's Rockefeller Center.

The newly renovated store features a seating area where customers can enjoy a new collection of French-style desserts or Godiva’s signature chocolates, along with beverages. Godiva first introduced its cafe concept in London, where it operates a 40-table cafe on the second floor of the famous Harrods department store.  

In May, United States Trade Representative (USTR) Robert Lighthizer began the formal process for renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which establishes the rules of trade among Canada, Mexico and the United States. The retail sector has urged USTR to preserve NAFTA’s basic structure, while advocating changes that could help retailers begin sourcing more items from NAFTA countries rather than Asia. As explained below, the outcome of NAFTA renegotiation also will signal the future direction of U.S. trade law and policy.