Financial/Banking

Minneapolis -- Supervalu Inc.'s fiscal third-quarter loss widened on larger write-down’s and weaker sales. The company reported a net loss of $750 million, including non-cash goodwill and intangible asset impairment charges of $800 million after-tax, from a loss of $202 million a year ago.

Supervalu said same-store sales fell 2.9% in the latest quarter. Net sales fell 4% to $8.33 billion, below analysts' average forecast of $8.42 billion.

Beachwood, Ohio -- Buyout firm The Blackstone Group and real estate investment trust DDR Corp. will buy 46 shopping centers owned by EPN Group for $1.43 billion, which includes the assumption of at least $945 million in debt.

Blackstone Real Estate Partners VII, an affiliate of Blackstone, will own 95% of the joint venture. DDR will own 5% and invest $150 million in preferred stock with a fixed dividend rate of 10%.

Atlanta -- Dollar volume growth on cards overall was a healthy 6.9%  in December, according to First Data Corporation’s First Data SpendTrend analysis for the full month of December 2011 compared to December 2010. SpendTrend tracks same-store consumer spending by credit, signature debit, PIN debit, EBT cards and checks at U.S. merchant locations.

However, strong auto sales, driven by low interest rates, likely diverted consumer spending to car sales from other retail areas, the report said. Auto sales are not captured in SpendTrend figures.

New York City -- Discovery Communications said Tuesday that Liz Claiborne Inc. CFO Andrew Warren is joining the company as finance chief.

Warren will succeed Brad Singer, who said last year he would depart Discovery at the end of March.

Liz Claiborne recently disclosed that Warren was leaving the company, saying he was pursuing an opportunity "in the media industry."
 

New York City -- Shopping centers in the United States had their first net gain in occupied space in four years amid a rise in consumer confidence and job growth, according real estate research firm Reis Inc., Bloomberg reported.

Neighborhood and community shopping shoppers saw a net increase of 3.18 million sq. ft. in the fourth quarter, the most since 10.1 million sq. ft. in the last three months of 2007.

New York City -- Marcus & Millichap Real Estate Investment Services said Monday it has hired Joseph C. French Jr. to serve as a senior director of its National Retail Group. French was previously with Sperry Van Ness, where he specialized in retail property sales.

Marcus & Millichap also hired French’s team of investment specialists Thomas C. Dalzell, Schuyler Boylan and Amie Segel.
 

ELMWOOD PARK, N.J. — The Craft & Hobby Association (CHA) board of directors has announced Andrej Suskavcevic as new president and CEO of CHA. The appointment of Suskavcevic concludes an eight-month executive search during which Tony Lee, VP meetings and expositions, served as CHA's interim leader.

Wayne, N.J. -- Fameco Real Estate said that recently completed deals with Hand & Stone Massage and Facial Spa and C2 Education have brought Plaza Square in Wayne, N.J., to 98% occupancy.

The 103,000-sq.-ft. center is owned by Jacksonville, Fla.-based Regency Centers and is anchored by ShopRite, Bank of America, Dollar Power, Bensi Italian Restaurant and Wendy’s.