Corporate Governance

IBM is looking to give retailers an edge in dealing with the effects of the weather, with help from the Internet of Things (IoT).

The technology firm has entered into an agreement to acquire The Weather Company’s B2B, mobile and cloud-based web properties, including WSI, weather.com, Weather Underground and The Weather Company brand.

Fresh on the heels of its announced $17.2 billion acquisition of Rite Aid, Walgreens Boots Alliance reported fourth-quarter net earnings of $26 million Wednesday — compared to a $221 million loss during the same period last year — and finished significantly ahead of analyst expectations. Net sales climbed almost 50% to $28.5 billion during the quarter, which ended August 31.

Boston – Gordon Brothers announced that Alex Sutton, managing director of Industrial Inventory for Gordon Brothers-AccuVal, will be honored by the Commercial Finance Association with the 2015 Harry H. Chen Memorial Instructor of the Year Award.

Houston-based Baker Katz, an X Team International partner and full-service commercial real estate brokerage firm, has completed a 3,469-sq.-ft. lease on behalf of Crossroads Trading.

Crossroads Trading will open its first Texas location in Central Houston’s Montrose neighborhood in the Westmont building. Crossroads Trading buys, sells and accepts trade-ins of used clothing and accessories.

Walmart is launching a new initiative with InComm and Pursuant Health that allows health plans to promote health risk assessments at kiosks in Walmart stores.

InComm, a leading prepaid product and transaction services company, and Pursuant Health (formerly SoloHealth) announced the partnership at the 2015 Money 2020 Conference in Las Vegas.

Ikea plans to install a solar energy system atop its Las Vegas store, opening summer 2016.

Panel installation will begin this winter, with completion expected in spring for what Ikea says will be the largest single-use rooftop solar array by a retailer in the state of Nevada. The 351,000-sq.-ft. future Ikea Las Vegas, and 1,300 parking spaces, currently is under construction.

Alibaba Holding Group Inc. profits surged as a result of a one-time benefit in the second quarter of fiscal 2016, while mobile sales boosted revenue.

A revaluation of Alibaba’s holding in its Alibaba Health Information Technology Ltd. subsidiary drove year-over-year net income growth of 657% to $3.57 billion, from $480 million.

Coach says increased demand for its merchandise and fewer discounts led the luxury goods maker and retailer to report increased profit in the first quarter despite a steep 9.5% drop in same-store sales.

The company said that for the first quarter ended Sept. 26, earnings were 41 cents a share (analysts expected 40 cents). Net income fell 19% to $96.4 million. Sales dropped 0.8% to $1.03 billion in the quarter, missing analysts’ $1.04 billion projection.