Corporate Governance

New York City -- Wal-Mart Stores is closing its U.S. apparel office in New York City as it shifts its focus from trendier fashions to more basic clothing. News of the move was first reported by Women’s Wear Daily and Reuters.

Canton, Mass. -- Dunkin' Donuts has 86 new restaurants slated for development in the Washington, D.C., market by 2020. The company said 15 development agreements were signed over the past year that will deliver 64 new restaurants, in addition to 22 restaurants that were previously contracted.

Fort Worth, Texas -- RadioShack Corp. reported Tuesday that profit for the quarter ended Sept. 30 plummeted to $300,000, compared with earnings of $46 million in the year-ago period. The retailer cited the transition from T-Mobile offerings to Verizon Wireless as a major reason for the performance decline, although that was offset somewhat by new mobile service and sales centers in Target stores. The company launched Verizon Wireless in more than 4,400 stores on Sept. 15, as well as ramped up its Target Mobile centers rollout in the same period.

North Bergen, N.J. -- Vitamin Shoppe reported Wednesday that net income for the quarter ended Sept. 24 rose to $11.9 million, compared with $7.2 million for the same period last year. 

Sales increased 11.5% to $208.9 million, from $187.4 million last year. Same-store sales rose 7.1%. The company opened 10 stores during the quarter, and expects to open 48 new stores in this fiscal year and another 52 locations in fiscal 2012.
 

Minneapolis -- Best Buy Co. announced Tuesday that it will waive the minimum purchase limitations and offer free shipping on its complete inventory of 400,000 website items from Nov. 1 through Dec. 27.

"Consumers are looking for value, service and savings this year, and our goal is to provide them with convenient, creative and less costly ways to make the holiday shopping experience more enjoyable," said Barry Judge, executive VP and CMO, in a statement.

Wayne, N.J. -- Toys “R” Us said Wednesday it will make its debut in Poland at the end of November, opening a store in Warsaw.

The company, which currently operates 300+ stores in Europe, said it will add several additional locations in major cities throughout Poland in 2012.

St. Louis -- Brown Shoe Co. said Wednesday it has finalized the sale of its And 1 men’s performance and lifestyle brand to Galaxy International for $55 million.

The And 1 brand was part of the $145 million American Sporting Goods acquisition that Brown completed last February in a move to expand its reach into the fitness category.

Brown Shoe said it plans to use the proceeds from the sale of And 1 to pay down debt.

Deerfield, Ill. -- First Lady Michelle Obama on Tuesday toured a Walgreens store on Chicago’s South Side to view the company’s efforts to fight the childhood obesity epidemic and provide better food options and accessible health care to under-served communities.

The event was part of a mayoral summit hosted by the First Lady’s Let’s Move! initiative and Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel.

Pollo Campero, the fast-growing Latin chicken chain, unveiled a new prototype designed by Interbrand Design Forum. Created with the American consumer in mind, the new design debuted in Webster, Texas. Two other locations are due to open in the Houston area by yearend.

WASHINGTON — The National Retail Federation announced that it has asked the Commerce Department to delay implementation of a controversial plan to vastly expand Internet domain names, saying retailers and other businesses need more information before moving forward.