Financial/Banking

RadioShack has completed a new financing totaling $835 million. That figure includes a $535 million credit facility led by GE Capital, Corporate Retail Finance and a $250 million secured term loan led by Salus Capital Partners.  

New York -- Despite a number of economic factors that have shaken consumer confidence lately, including the government shutdown and continued high unemployment rates, retailers and manufacturers believe holiday sales will rise slightly compared to last year, according to Capital Business Credit, a non-bank lender that services the retail sector.

Houston — Jones Lang LaSalle’s Capital Markets group has closed the sale of Northwest Crossing Centre, a 179,469-sq.-ft., fully leased shopping center in Houston. USA Properties purchased the property from Weingarten Realty. JLL secured 10-year, fixed-rate financing for the acquisition.

The National Retail Federation is calling the short-term budget deal reached by Congress this week a step in the right direction for the economy and for retailers.

In a prepared statement, Matthew Shay, president and CEO of the NRF, said legislators must move past partisan differences to resolve lingering fiscal issues.

New York – Leonard Riggio, chairman of Barnes & Noble, has reportedly sold 2 million shares of company stock. According to Reuters, Riggio’s sale, reported in an SEC regulatory filing, lowers Riggio’s stake in Barnes & Noble to 26.3%.

BitPay, a company that allows merchants to use bitcoin, has reported a spike in transactions this year.

The company has processed more than $100 million in transactions this year, and its membership now includes more than 15,500 merchants in 200 countries. The number of merchants has increased by more than 50%, while transaction volume has tripled since the creation of the All Inclusive Pricing Plan in October and the integration with Shopify in November.

Washington, D.C. – The National Retail Federation (NRF) is calling the short-term budget deal reached by Congress on Dec. 10 a step in the right direction for the economy and for retailers. In a prepared statement, Matthew Shay, president and CEO of the NRF, said legislators must move past partisan differences to resolve lingering fiscal issues.

Central Garden & Pet Company CEO John Ranelli offered a contrite response regarding the company's lack of sufficient progress in the fourth fiscal quarter of 2013.