Office Depot, LLC

BOCA RATON, Fla. — Office Depot swung to profitability during the fourth quarter, despite a 5% comp sales decline at North American retail stores where the retailer shunned promotional activity during the holidays.

Boca Raton, Fla. -- Office Depot Inc. reported Monday that it swung to a profit of $12.3 million in the quarter ended Dec. 31, compared with a loss of $108.6 million in the year-ago period.

Revenue edged up to $2.97 billion in the quarter, from $2.96 billion last year, missing Wall Street’s expected break-even on $3 billion in sales. Same-store sales dropped 5%, due in large part to a move away from promotions to shore up profitability, said the company.

Office Depot, Staples and Target were among the companies honored as America's Top Corporations for Women's Business Enterprises. Produced by the Women's Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC), this award recognizes corporations for world class programs that level the playing field for women's business enterprises (WBEs) to compete for corporate business, according to the council. 

Other companies honored include:

• Accenture

• Alcatel-Lucent

• Avis Budget Group

Covington, La. -- Stirling Properties announced the closing of the land acquisition and development financing for Mid-City Market, a 107,713-sq.-ft. Winn-Dixie anchored shopping center located in New Orleans.

Mid-City Market’s amenities will include terraced outdoor seating and pedestrian plazas, benches, bike racks, trellises, and native landscaping throughout to compliment the proposed Lafitte Greenway pedestrian and bicycle pathway which will border Mid-City Market.

BOCA RATON, Fla. — Office Depot is hoping to appeal to working women with a new desk accessories line. The See Jane Work line includes mix-and-match organizational products starting at just $3.99.

New York City -- Walmart, Office Depot and Macy’s were the only three retailers listed among The National Association for Female Executives list of the "Top 50 Companies for Executive Women."

According to NAFE, women represent 53% of the employees at these companies, on average. Women make up 23% of the board of directors at the NAFE Top 50, versus 16% across the boards of companies in the Fortune 500. In addition, women make up 22% of the executive level at companies in the NAFE Top 50, versus 14% across Fortune 500 companies.

Boca Raton, Fla. -- Office Depot announced Tuesday the release of its 2011 Corporate Citizenship Report, highlighting its commitment to business, ethics, diversity, environmental sustainability and community.

Highlights of the report include diversity initiatives such as its Historically Underutilized Businesses catalog, which features products by businesses owned by minorities, women, the disabled and veterans; its ranking as the greenest retailer in America; and its compliance training initiatives.

Beachwood, Ohio -- DDR Corp. announced Friday new Five Below stores in consolidated small shop and downsized junior anchor locations at five Atlanta-area shopping centers.

DDR said the new locations represent the continuation of efforts to strategically reduce small-shop space as well as rightsize junior anchors and re-lease the residual space at attractive market rents. At the locations where Five Below will be occupying downsized space, DDR will realize rental increases of nearly 50%.