KeyBank

Soft Surroundings has completed a dividend recapitalization that was financed through an expansion of the existing credit facility.

The women’s lifestyle retailer is in the midst of a nationwide store expansion strategy, and the new debt financing includes a designated facility to fund future store openings. The company opened 11 new stores in 2015 and has identified over 15 locations for 2016.

The Samsung Pay mobile payment solution had a good first four weeks in the U.S.

According to data released by Samsung Electronics, U.S. consumers who have paid with Samsung Pay so far have executed an average of eight transactions each.

New York -- Kip Tindell, founder, chairman and CEO of The Container Store, will be inducted into the Retail Hall of Fame at the upcoming World Retail Congress, which will be held Sept. 8-10, in Rome, Italy. Tindell is also the current chairman of the National Retail Federation.

Seattle – The sales success of the July 15 Amazon Prime Day sales event did not happen by itself. A new IPSOS survey of 1.005 U.S. consumers commissioned by Cumulus Media/Westwood One has revealed advertising drove significant awareness for Prime Day.   

New York -- Just under half of retail firms expect industry expansion, and over two-thirds will consider seeking additional financing in the coming year. And 45% believe the sector will expand in the year ahead. That’s according to a survey by GE Capital of C-suite executives at middle market companies (ranging from $10 million to less than $1 billion in sales).

Performance in the middle-market retail sector was positive over the past year, the survey found, with 75% of firms reporting improved year-over-year financial performance.

Today, CEOs and corporate board members of retail chains must run simply to stand still. Executives of publicly traded retailers face intensive pressure from activist investors to quickly and decisively increase shareholder value. Activists are known to secretly accumulate a significant stake in a company and without notice blind side the CEO with risky restructuring plans, force firms into unwanted mergers to removing board members and CEOs that disagree with their speculative strategy.

Scottsdale, Ariz. – JDA Software Group Inc. is releasing new capabilities in the JDA Transportation portfolio designed to help companies make smarter, more strategic shipping and delivery decisions. By balancing internal capacities and constraints with customer promises, this enhanced functionality supports higher levels of resiliency and agility

New York -- General Electric Company on Friday announced it will sell or spin off the majority of its $500 billion GE Capital finance business over the next two years as it looks to simplify and concentrate on its industrial roots. The company said it will keep its aircraft leasing operation and smaller lending lines.

GE said it has sold its real-estate assets, which include commercial loans and office buildings, for $26.5 billion, with  Wells Fargo & Co. and private equity firm Blackstone Group buying the bulk of it.