Corporate Governance

New York -- Saks Fifth Avenue Off 5th plans to open a new store in Pearl, Miss., (metropolitan Jackson) on Nov. 14.

The 17,000-sq.-ft. store will be located in the Outlets of Mississippi in Rankin County, one of the fastest growing areas in the state. The outlet is developed by Spectrum Capital, an affiliate of the Yates Companies.

Sears and Kmart stores are joining the still growing list of retailers that will open Thanksgiving Day in the hopes of luring Black Friday shoppers early.

Kmart will open for 41 straight hours, starting at 6 a.m. Thanksgiving Day to 11 p.m. Black Friday. Sears will open doors starting at 8 p.m. Thanksgiving Day to 10 p.m. Black Friday, with more than 1,000 doorbusters available until 1 p.m. Friday afternoon.

Fort Walton Beach, Fla. -- Edwin Watts Golf Shops on Monday filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in Delaware, with the intention of selling the operating assets of the business.  

The company, owned by private equity firm Sun Capital Partners, listed estimated liabilities and assets of $100 million to $500 million.

Davenport, Iowa -- Von Maur Department Store has opened its first store in the state of Alabama, at Riverchase Galleria in Hoover. The 185,000-sq.-ft. store is also one of the company’s largest locations to date.

"After opening our first Southeastern location two years ago, we couldn't be more excited to continue building on our success in the region with the addition of our first Alabama location at Riverchase Galleria," said Jim von Maur, president of Von Maur."

New York -- American Realty Capital Properties has acquired Cole Real Estate Investments for $11.2 billion, creating the world’s largest net lease real estate investment trust, with an enterprise value of $21.5 billion.

ARCP has secured $2.75 billion in fully committed financing from Barclays. The loan is expected to close in the first half of next year.

Updated ARCP pro forma 2014 guidance indicates that adjusted funds from operations will move from $1.13 to $1.19 per share, compared with 2013 guidance of $0.91 to $0.95 per share.

Bristol Farms boosts efficiency by reducing delivery frequency

Bristol Farms has been outsourcing logistics management since 1996. The upscale specialty grocery store operator initiated logistics outsourcing to aid growth. But the retailer has since used it to improve delivery efficiency. 

As both founder of legendary 1960s rock group The Velvet Underground and as a solo artist, recently departed singer/songwriter Lou Reed was noted as a visionary and a curmudgeon. While his gruff approach to critics and fans may not be the best customer engagement template, Reed’s innovations as a musical artist offer lessons for retailers seeking success in the digital arena.

Avoiding all That Jazz

A desire to improve operational efficiency and capitalize on scale were cited as reasons for several senior level executive moves at Dollar General.

The retailer recently surpassed 11,000 units and chairman and CEO Rick Dreiling said the enhanced management structure involving Todd Vasos and David D’Arezzo would align the company for continued future growth.