Sears, Roebuck & Co.

Hoffman Estates, Ill. - Lynn Pendergrass has joined Sears Holdings Corp. in the new role of president, hardlines.

In this position, she will be responsible for working across the Kenmore, Craftsman & DieHard business unit and its hardlines partners, including home appliances, lawn & garden, tools, and Sears Auto Centers, to develop compelling offers and build customer relationships.

Pendergrass comes to Sears Holdings from Johnson & Johnson, where she served as worldwide chairman, consumer.

Sears Holdings Co. has made an interesting choice to lead its hardlines division.

The company announced that Lynn Pendergrass has joined the company in the new role of president, hardlines. In this position, she will be responsible for working across the Kenmore, Craftsman & DieHard business unit and its hardlines partners — including Home Appliances, Lawn & Garden, Tools, and Sears Auto Centers — to develop compelling offers and build relationships with members who shop the hardline categories.

Hoffman Estate, Ill. — A one-time gain of $2.7 billion from the creation of its publicly-traded Seritage Growth Properties real estate investment trust (REIT) pushed Sears Holdings Corp, into the black for the first time since 2012. Sears reported net income of $208 million in the second quarter of fiscal 2015, compared to a net loss of $573 million the same period the prior fiscal year.

Thanks to some financial engineering, Sears Holdings overcame a double digit decline in same store sales to produce a second quarter profit or a less severe loss depending on the arithmetic used.

Reagan era appointee David Stockman is no fan of the current administration or the Federal Reserve’s long-running easy money policy and to make his case against the flawed strategy he singles out four of the biggest names in department store retailing.

Stockman is the Reagan era director of the Office of Management and Budget who became a Wall Street executive and now regularly opines on the troubled state of the economy and looming dangers caused by nearly eight years of zero interest rates he contends have produced all manner of distortions in the economy.

Goodlettsville, Tenn. — A familiar face has returned to head up merchandising at Dollar General.

Dollar General said James W. “Jim” Thorpe had rejoined the company as executive VP and chief merchandising officer, effective immediately. Thorpe previously served as Dollar General’s senior vice president and general merchandise manager from May 2006 until he retired in July 2012. 

A familiar face has returned to lead Dollar General’s merchandising organization following the departure of David D’Arezzo who leaves the 12,000 unit retailer after serving as chief merchandising officer for 20 months.

Hoffman Estates, Ill. – Sears Holdings Corp. is expecting to announce some rare good news about profits thanks to a real estate spinoff when it reports its second quarter results on Aug. 20. But the news will be tempered by dismal sales results.

Sears Holdings keeps finding new ways to generate cash and gain financial flexibility, but selling merchandise is not among them.

New York — Macy’s is feeling the heat — from an activist investor and Donald Trump.

Activist investor Starboard Value wants the department store giant to follow the example set by such other retailers and Sears Holdings and Hudsons Bay Company and capitalize on its real estate holdings by spinning them off into a new investment vehicle. 

Starboard claims the move would double Macy’s stock value, Fortune reported. For more click here.