Deals

New York City -- BRE Retail Holdings, an affiliate of Blackstone Real Estate Partners VI L.P. announced Tuesday that it has acquired the U.S. assets and platform of Centro Properties Group and its managed funds for approximately $9 billion.

The sale includes 585 community and neighborhood shopping centers and related retail assets aggregating 92.1 million sq. ft. in 39 states.

New York City -- A report by the Associated Press on Tuesday said that private equity firm Aletheia Research & Management has once again reduced its stake in Barnes & Noble.

The major shareholder, which Barnes & Noble has said joined forces with Ron Burkle last year during a proxy fight, has for the second time in a month cut its shares, now owning about 3.2 million shares, or 5.4% of Barnes & Noble's outstanding stock, according to a Securities and Exchange Commission filing on Tuesday.

New York City -- Multiple reports on Tuesday said that French retailing giant Carrefour SA has received an offer to merge with Brazil’s Companhia Brasileira de Distribuicao.

Brazilian investment fund Gama said in a statement that it proposed a merger between Carrefour, the world’s second largest retailer by sales after Wal-Mart Stores, and CBD, a local retailing giant.

Minneapolis -- Target on Friday announced that Target Canada has reached an agreement to transfer to Walmart Canada the leasehold interests in up to 39 sites, currently operated by Zellers.

Specific locations will be identified later this fall. Terms of this transaction were not disclosed.

MINNEAPOLIS — Target last week announced that Target Canada has reached an agreement to transfer to Walmart Canada the leasehold interests in up to 39 sites, currently operated by Zellers.

Specific locations will be identified later this fall. Terms of this transaction were not disclosed.

Walmart doesn’t need a lot of help when it comes to growth, which is why last week’s announcement by Target to sell its larger rival 39 sites in Canada was a surprise. Walmart is on track to end this year with 333 stores, and on Friday Target said it had reached an agreement to transfer to Walmart Canada the rights for leasehold interests in up to 39 sites currently operated by Zellers. The sites are among the up to 220 possible sites whose leasehold interests Target is acquiring as part of a real estate transaction announced in January.

Dallas -- The Commercial Retail Division of The Weitzman Group said that Just Fitness 4 U has leased 18,900 sq. ft. of anchor space in Spring Creek Village for the chain’s sixth Dallas-Fort Worth location.

Just Fitness 4 U, which currently operates locations in Dallas, Carrollton, Mesquite, Plano and Hurst, also operates in several national markets, including Atlanta and Salt Lake City. The Weitzman Group is representing the fitness chain on its Dallas-Ft. Worth expansion.

Chicago -- Oakbrook Terrace, Ill.-based Mid-America Asset Management Inc. said that Skechers recently signed a lease for 8,690 sq. ft. at Burbank Station in Chicago's west suburbs.

The new store is slated to open in the fall.

Burbank Station is a 303,566-sq.-ft. suburban retail center anchored by Food 4 Less, Sports Authority, Babies “R” Us, Office Max, PetSmart and HomeGoods.