Corporate Governance

Greenwood Village, Colorado -- Red Robin Gourmet Burger announced it has completed the acquisition of 32 Red Robin franchised restaurants in the United States and Canada, for approximately $40 million from Mach Robin, LLC and Mach Robin, LLC’s Canadian affiliate.

Alexandria, Va. - Consumer optimism about the economy reached a 12-month high in July. According to data from the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS), consumer optimism surged from 39% to 46%, the highest level of optimism since it stood at 48% in July 2013.

New York – Data breaches in the state of New York more than tripled between 2006 and 2013, exposing 22.8 million records. According to Bloomberg, a report from the New York attorney general’s office indicates almost 5,000 data breaches were reported in New York during those seven years.

Indianapolis – Simon has named retail and real estate executive Stephen Yalof as CEO of premium outlets and senior executive VP of Simon. Yalof has served as senior VP of real estate for Ralph Lauren Corp. since 2002.
 
His 15 years of experience within the retail industry also includes his role as senior director of real estate for Gap. Yalof began his career in real estate at New Plan Realty Trust, and became VP of leasing for their factory outlet business. 

Union, N.J. - Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. has priced three series of senior unsecured notes for an aggregate principal amount of $1.5 billion. Of these notes, $300 million will mature in August 2024, $300 million will mature in August 2034, and $900 million will mature in August 2044.

The offering is expected to close, subject to normal closing conditions, on July 17, 2014. The company intends to use the proceeds from this offering for share repurchases of its common stock and for general corporate purposes.

New York - Ugam, a provider of managed analytics technology, is releasing a Brand Intelligence solution that enables monitoring of online channel prices and enforcement of MAP (minimum advertised price) compliance, ensuring that all partners sell their products at uniform prices.

Chesapeake, Va. - Randy Guiler has joined Dollar Tree Inc. as VP, investor relations. Guiler, 49, is joining Dollar Tree after nearly 15 years with Tractor Supply Company, including leading Tractor Supply’s investor relations efforts for the past 10 years.

Prior to his role as VP, investor relations & corporate communications, Guiler also had responsibility for Tractor Supply’s treasury and risk management functions. Guiler will succeed Timothy Reid, 61, who is retiring.

General Mills has inaugurated its first innovation, technology and quality center in China — part of its efforts to drive greater innovation and investment in one of its largest growth markets.  

Home furnishings retailer West Elm plans to open a new retail store in New Orleans, Louisiana, Thursday, July 24, at 10 a.m. — its first in the state.

Three year old New York-based start-up Unroll.Me announced it is up to one million users, a troubling development for companies who rely on email to connect with their customers.