Retail

GNC financial chief and EVP Michael M. Nuzzo is exiting the company to take an executive position at a private equity funded consumer products company.

Nuzzo will remain with the company at least through July 18, which will include preparation of its second quarter earnings release and 10Q, both of which are expected to be issued on the normal schedule in late July or early August.

Clifton, N.J. — Blink Fitness has leased a 15,000-sq.-ft. location at the 80,000-sq.-ft. Clifton Plaza shopping center in Clifton, N.J., according to Levin Management (www.levinmgt.com), the property’s managing and leasing agent.

Co-anchored by a 24,000-sq.-ft. Big Lots and a 14,000-sq.-ft. Dollar Tree, Clifton Plaza’s tenant roster includes GameStop, Radio Shack, Angel Tip Nails & Spa, Bruno’s Pizza, Sally Beauty Supply and Valley National Bank.

London, U.K. — Online grocery shoppers tend to buy fewer impulse purchases online than in store, resulting in smaller basket sizes. A recent survey of 1,154 online grocery shoppers from EDigitalResearch found that 29% of respondents feel that they make far fewer impulse purchases online than in store. 

St. Louis — Panera Bread Company has secured a five-year $100 million term loan from Bank of America, Wells Fargo and TD Bank. Proceeds from the loan will be used for general corporate purposes, including a range of growth initiatives such as the rollout of the Panera 2.0 in-store technology initiative.

Swedish clothing retailer H&M will be celebrating the July 17 opening of its museum-inspired Fifth Avenue flagship store with the help of artist Jeff Koons.

The partnership — H&M’s first artist collaboration — will take the form of a handbag that Koons designed in the shape of his famous stainless steel balloon dog sculpture. The handbag will be sold starting July 17 at H7M stores in New York, Dallas, Chicago and Los Angeles.

City of Commerce, Calif. — 99 Cents Only Stores LLC reported net income of $9.57 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2015, up from $897,000 in the same quarter a year earlier. 

Net sales rose $477.9 million, up 7% from $445.2 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2014. 

Newell Rubbermaid president and CEO Michael Polk has joined the board of directors of Colgate-Palmolive. The move comes a little more than a month after the CPG company’s shareholders elected a slate of 10 directors.

Wayne, N.J. — Toys “R” Us reported a net loss of $196 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2014, up from a $111 million net loss in the year-ago period, amid a decrease in income tax benefit and  rise in expenses that included investments in e-commerce and U.S. store maintenance. But the struggling retailer saw its sales improve.