Corporate Governance

Starbucks and Latin America: a perfect match
Panama City -- Starbucks Coffee Company has entered its 15th Latin America market.

The coffee giant — together with Premium Restaurants of America, its long-term strategic licensing partner in Central America — has opened its first store in Panama, making it Starbucks 15th market in Latin America and 67th worldwide.
First ground-up development planned as Conscious Place Initiative for Texas developer
Fort Worth, Texas -- Trademark Property Co. announced its Waterside mixed-use development, located in Fort Worth, Texas, will be the first ground-up project developed as part of Trademark’s Conscious Place initiative; a stakeholder-driven development model that aims to ensure that its properties are more than just places of commerce, but also places of community and meaning.

Strack and Van Til, Munster, Indiana

A complete revamp has put a new focus on freshness and customer engagement at Strack & Van Til.

Focusing on whole organics, natural foods, and gluten-free products, the 56,458-sq.-ft store is set up to offer the value of a farmers market in the environment of a large space. Customers can even have their fresh purchased seafood grilled for them on-site.
Build-A-Bear Workshop cuts loss

St. Louis -- Build-A-Bear Workshop retains its come-back momentum.

By limiting growth of costs and expenses and improving sales, Build-A-Bear Workshop reduced its net loss to better-than-expected $628,000 in the second quarter of fiscal 2015 from $4.3 million the same period a year earlier.
Aldi on hiring binge

Batavia, Ill. – Aldi wants you – if you are someone looking for a store-level retail job.

The rapidly growing discount supermarket retailer will host hiring events throughout the U.S. during the month of August for more than 2,500 positions.
Survey: Thrift store customers want, don’t need, savings

Bellevue, Wash. – Thrift shop customers appreciate the deep savings, but most of them do not shop out of necessity.

According to a new survey of 1,001 U.S. adults from the Savers thrift shop chain, 76% of Americans are choosing thrift with the top two reasons being that it’s cost-effective and feels like a treasure hunt. The new data about Americans’ shopping behaviors also highlights:

• 77% agree that it’s important that they get a good deal or value on the items they buy.
Breach hits Sally Beauty Q3 profit; will close 16 German stores

Denton, Texas – Sally Beauty Holdings is feeling the impact of its data breach.

Costs related to a data breach discovered in May 2015, as well as higher selling, general and administrative (SG&A) expenses, helped reduce profit at Sally Beauty during the third quarter of fiscal 2015. Net earnings fell 8% to $62.46 million, from $67.76 million the same period a year earlier.
Mixed results for HSN

St. Petersburg, Fla. – HSN Inc. had a mixed second quarter, meeting Wall Street profit projections but falling short of sales estimates.

HSN’s net income totaled $41.6 million, up 2% from $40.9 million the same period the prior year.

Net sales grew 4% to $885.6 million from $855.2 million, including an 11% increase in digital sales.
Welco signs Fairway Market for Brooklyn center

New Rochelle, N.Y. - Welco Realty Inc., an XTeam partner, has signed an approximately a 50,000-sq.-ft. lease with supermarket chain Fairway Market at Georgetowne Shopping Center in Brooklyn. New York.

Welco represented both the landlord, Astoria Holding Corp., and tenant in this transaction.
Second life for C. Wonder — with a celebrity stylist as pitchman

Photo via Getty Images
L Brands on a roll

Columbus, Ohio - L Brands Inc. continues its winning ways.
Dropped products affect Conn’s Q2

The Woodlands, Texas – The decision to stop selling video game products, digital cameras, and certain tablets affected same-store sales at Conn’s Inc. during the second quarter and July fiscal 2016. However, Conn’s still reported total preliminary net retail sales of $325 million during the quarter, up 13% from the prior year period.