Department Store

Issaquah, Wash. -- Costco Wholesale Corp.’s international executive VP James Murphy said Thursday that the warehouse club operator is pursuing a European expansion program.

Murphy told Bloomberg that Costco is “interested in investing in the obvious four -- Germany, Italy, France and Spain.” The company hasn’t decided which country would debut first and will probably open a store in the region “in the next couple of years,” Murphy said in the Bloomberg interview.

New York -- A Thursday report by Bloomberg said that Macy’s CEO Terry Lundgren is slated to give his deposition next month over a contract dispute with Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia Inc.

Citing documents filed Thursday in New York state court, Bloomberg said that Lundgren is scheduled for a half-day of questioning on July 3 in advance of a July 13 hearing on his company’s request for a preliminary injunction.

Ottawa, Ontario -- Sears Canada has opened its largest Sears Home store at Pinecrest Shopping Center. The store will occupy 78,0000 sq. ft. and feature an expanded selection of furniture as well as the largest major appliance and mattress inventory of any Sears location.

"The opening of the Sears Home store at Pinecrest is another in a series of transformational milestones for Sears Canada," said Calvin McDonald, president and CEO, Sears Canada.

Irvine, Calif. -- TNP Strategic Retail Trust said Friday it has acquired Bloomingdale Hills, a 13-acre retail center in the Tampa, Fla., suburb of Riverview.

TNP is a public non-traded REIT that invests in grocery and drugstore anchored, multi-tenant necessity retail properties and other real estate-related assets.

Bloomingdale Hills comprises about 78,500 sq. ft. of rentable space, as well as a fully improved, undeveloped land parcel.

The center is anchored by Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market and is 100% leased.
 

Chattanooga, Tenn. -- Mall owner CBL & Associates Properties announced Wednesday the launch of Me-Ality — a size-matching station for mall shoppers — at nine CBL malls across the United States.

MENOMONEE FALLS, Wis. — Kohl’s Department Stores is strengthening its commitment to renewable energy, by increasing its solar program by nearly 25% in 2012, installing solar panels at approximately 30 additional Kohl’s locations.

Stockholm, Sweden -- Hennes & Mauritz AB reported Wednesday that profit for the second quarter rose 23% to $750 million, beating Wall Street estimates and marking the strongest profit increase in seven quarters for Europe’s second-largest apparel retailer.

H&M had announced on June 15 that sales for the quarter rose 15% to $4.5 billion, beating estimates and boosted by sales strength in the United States.
 

Beachwood, Ohio -- Blackstone's flagship real estate fund and DDR Corp. announced Thursday hat a joint venture formed by the two entities has closed on the acquisition of a portfolio of 46 shopping centers previously owned by EPN Group.

The joint venture has assumed approximately $635 million of senior non-recourse debt and has originated an additional $320 million non-recourse loan facility, which has a five-year term.