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Digital identity solution provider ID.me has unveiled its new retail rewards marketplace, which helps retail brands hyper-target valuable influencers and consumer segments with exclusive offers that are protected from fraud.

The WhiteWave Foods Company, a leading consumer packaged food and beverage company in North America and Europe, has agreed to acquire So Delicious Dairy Free from its existing shareholders, led by Wasserstein & Co., for approximately $195 million in cash.

Northbrook, lll. -- StreetMac LLC and an affiliate of Five Mile Capital Partners LLC announced redevelopment plans for the 1.3 million-sq.-ft. Stratford Square Mall, located in Bloomingdale, Illinois. The center’s anchor tenants include Macy’s, Carson Pirie Scott, Sears, Kohl’s, Burlington Coat Factory and the 16- screen Century Theatre movie complex.

Miami - Southeast Financial Center, an office tower and plaza totaling 1.22 million sq. ft. in Miami’s Central Business District, signed a 20,100-sq.-ft. lease with Club Ventures, Miami, LLC, to bring DavidBartonGym to the top floor of the property’s 15-story annex. Southeast Financial Center has undergone capital improvements totaling $20.5 million since late 2008, including the implementation of granite pedestrian walkways, strategic seating areas, an enhanced park setting with shade trees and various foliage and planters, and new lighting.

Aliso Viejo, Calif. -- Johnny Rockets announced a new concept, called Johnny Rockets Route 66, which will take the form of four prototypes: drive-thru, drive-in, food truck and pop-up. The first prototypes are to debut as early as fourth quarter 2014.

The drive-thru prototype is targeted for high volume, regional travel plazas located off major freeways and highways. It will range from 1,800sq. ft. to 3,300 sq. ft. and feature an optimized menu, digital projectors and technology to enhance the guest experience.
 

Silver Hill, N.J. - Technology company Edgagement, LLC has released a cloud-based mobile training platform that creates product knowledge forums and modules for informing sales associates. Edgagement measures and scores a selling partner's product knowledge, and delivers actionable responses based on those engagements.

General Mills is in the process of acquiring leading natural and organic food company Annie’s for $46 per share in cash, for a total transaction value of approximately $820 million.  

The transaction consideration represents a 51% premium over Annie’s 30-day average closing price of $30.47 as of Sept. 5. Annie’s will continue to be headquartered in Berkeley, California.

Dollar Tree and Family Dollar have amended their merger agreement to include a commitment by Dollar Tree to divest as many stores as necessary or advisable to obtain antitrust clearance for the previously announced cash and stock transaction.

All other terms and conditions of the merger agreement remain the same as announced on July 28, 2014. The two companies also said that their expectations for a closing date for the transaction have accelerated to as early as the end of November 2014.

Chain Store Age makes no secret of the fact that we are a retail publication – and have been since 1925. Our readership is retail headquarters executives and our content is directed toward, and influenced by, that very group.

In the September 2014 issue, however, we looked at another group – one that is integrally involved with retailers and often determines the success of a single store or an entire market:  retail brokers.