Sears, Roebuck & Co.

Hoffman Estates, Ill. – Sears Hometown and Outlet Stores Inc. reported falling profits and sales in the first quarter of fiscal 2015. Lower online commissions from Sears Holdings, lower initial franchise revenues, and lower delivery income helped reduce net income to $2.15 million from $3.68 million.

Net sales in the first quarter of 2015 decreased 1% to $582.8 million from $589.9 million. This decrease was driven primarily by a 1.2% decrease in same-store sales.

Sears Hometown and Outlet Stores Inc.

Lower sales and a fall in commissions led Sears Hometown and Outlet Stores Inc. to post falling profit in the first quarter.

Sears is putting its decades of home improvement knowledge to work once again for military families.

The retailer has launched its eighth annual Heroes at Home campaign with Rebuilding Together to raise funds and assist military families facing hardship by making necessary repairs, improvements or modifications to their homes. The program, which has raised more than $18 million over the past seven years thanks to donations from Shop Your Way members, customers and associates, has funded more than 1,500 home rebuilds.

Chicago - Potbelly Corp. has promoted Julie Younglove-Webb as its new senior VP of operations. Younglove-Webb will oversee all aspects of company operations.

Younglove-Webb joined the Potbelly 2008, as a general manager and then a district manager before assuming various operations roles and being promoted to her latest role as Central Zone VP, overseeing 250 shops. She replaces John Morlock, who will now serve as senior VP of ops growth.

Hoffman Estates, Ill. – Sears Holding Corp. and Santa Monica, California-based shopping mall operator The Macerich Co. are forming a 50/50 joint venture that will purchase nine Sears stores located in Macerich malls for $150 million. The venture will then lease the stores back to Sears or to other retailers.

Sears has entered two other similar leaseback joint ventures during April 2015, including deals with General Growth Properties and Simon Property Group. According to Macerich, the stores have average in-line sales of $680 per square foot.

Bauer Hockey: Ice hockey equipment manufacturer Bauer Hockey is throwing its puck in the retail arena. The company will open its first-ever store this summer, in Burlington, Massachusetts, followed by a second location in the fall, in the Minneapolis area.

Hoffman Estates, Ill. -- Sears Holdings Corp. announced the two remaining stores involved in its deal with European fashion retailer Primark. (In late 2014, Sears entered into lease agreements with Primark for seven standalone stores in the Northeastern United States.)

The two remaining stores will be located at Burlington Mall in Burlington, Massachusetts; and South Shore Plaza in Braintree, Massachusetts. Sears will continue to have a significant retail presence in both of these malls, which are owned and operated by Simon Property Group, Inc.

New York -- Sears Holdings Corp. is hoping to spark a turnaround in its struggling Hometown and Outlet Stores division with a 51-store refresh program that starts with seven stores in Arizona.

The store refresh includes a new product assortment, redesigned merchandising, new fixtures & signage, and comprehensive employee training, among other changes.

Chicago -- Sears Holdings Corp. has tapped former Rouse Properties COO Benjamin Schall to lead new Sears REIT Seritage Growth Properties. The real estate investment trust was formed by Sears to buy some of its stores and generate $2.5 billion in cash.

Schall’s appointment is effective May 4. He spent three years as COO of publicly traded REIT Rouse, overseeing operations of 35 malls in 21 states.