JCPenney Co.

Plano, Texas – Law firm Wites & Kaplan, P.A. says class-action lawsuits have been filed that allege that JC Penny Company, Inc. and certain of its officers and directors committed violations of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

Stamford, Conn. -- GE Capital Retail Bank announced a long-term extension of its private label and dual card credit program with J.C. Penney Co.

Launched in 1999, the credit card program is managed by GE Capital’s Retail Finance business and available for purchases at any of the nearly 1,100 J.C. Penney stores across the United States and Puerto Rico.

Austin, Texas — Jones Lang LaSalle has hired Todd Wallace and Robert O’Farrell to lead its retail brokerage practice in Austin, Texas. Wallace joins the firm as an executive VP and O’Farrell will serve as a senior VP.

“We’re committed to growing our local market retail practice in key hubs around the United States,” said Greg Maloney, president and CEO of Retail, Jones Lang LaSalle.

Cupertino, Calif. -- Apple Inc. has hired a much-admired fashion industry veteran to run its retail stores. The company announced Tuesday that Angela Ahrendts, CEO of British luxury giant Burberry Group Plc, has been appointed to the newly created position of senior VP of retail and online stores. She will join Apple in the spring from Burberry.

At Apple Ahrendts, 53, will become a member of the executive team and report directly to CEO Tim Cook. She will be the first woman on Apple’s 10-member executive team.

New York -- The Bon-Ton Stores has signed a lease with Rouse Properties for a new Herberger’s store at Cache Valley Mall in Logan, Utah — its first in the state. 

The company expects to begin remodeling the 62,000-sq.-ft. facility in early spring 2014 and to be completed in the second half of 2014.

Plano, Texas -- J.C. Penney Co. announced that departing Saks Inc. CEO and chairman Stephen Sadove has been elected to its board of directors.

Sadove's  election is effective upon his leaving Saks, which will occur once the acquisition of the upscale department store by Hudson's Bay Company is completed, which is expected by the end of the year.

Sadove is a highly regarded industry veteran. He is the current chairman of the National Retail Federation.

Saks chairman and CEO Stephen Sadove has been named to the board of directors at J.C. Penney to fill a position being vacated by Geraldine Laybourne.

Sadove will be leaving his position at Saks soon as the upscale department store chain was recently sold to Hudson’s Bay Company. Sadove joined Saks in 2002 as vice chairman and assumed the additional post of chief operating officer in 2004. He became CEO in 2006 and the following year was named chairman.

The Bon-Ton Stores has signed a lease with Rouse Properties for a new Herberger’s store at Cache Valley Mall in Logan, Utah — its first in the state. 

The company expects to begin remodeling the 62,000-sq.-ft. facility in early spring 2014 and to be completed in the second half of 2014.

Denton, Texas — Body Central will open a new location at Golden Triangle Mall in Denton, Texas, on Oct. 9. The specialty women’s apparel retailer operates more than 200 stores in 23 states across the U.S., under the Body Central and Body Shop banners.

Golden Triangle, Denton’s only mall, features Macy’s, Dillard’s, J.C. Penney, Sears, Barnes & Noble and DSW Shoe Warehouse as anchors. Cencor Realty Services manages the mall, and The Weitzman Group and MG Herring Group handle the leasing.

Dallas — Jones Lang LaSalle Retail will lease seven shopping centers in the Dallas region for American Retail Management LLC and Inland Diversified. The properties total more than one million sq. ft. and are nearly 95% occupied. The assignments include: