Department Store

After three quarters of missing analyst estimates, Bed Bath & Beyond’s fourth quarter ended on a high note, and beat expectations.

Riverpoint Center, a 211,000-sq.-ft. grocery-anchored center in Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood, has been acquired by Federal Realty Investment Trust for $107 million.   Mid-America Rea Estate brokered the sales of the center, which is anchored by Jewel-Osco, Marshalls, and Old Navy. The name of the seller was not disclosed.   Riverpoint Center is located at the northwest corner of West Fullerton and North Clybourn Avenues in Lincoln Park, an affluent neighborhood on the lakefront north of downtown.

Coach Inc. has tapped a 26-year fashion veteran to lead the company as its expands its brand portfolio.   Joshua Schulman has been named president and CEO of the Coach brand, effective June 5. In this newly created role, Schulman will be responsible for all aspects of the brand globally, reporting directly to Victor Luis, CEO of Coach, Inc. This new leadership structure follows the 2015 acquisition of Stuart Weitzman, and is an important step in Coach, Inc.’s evolution as a customer-focused, multi-brand organization, the retailer said.

A mall-to-outlet center conversion underway in Rochester, New York, took a big step forward this week with the acquisition of a Macy’s building on the property.  

The  retail community has had a curious relationship with the Ivanka Trump brand over the last year or two. Some prominent brands proudly display her clothing, shoe and accessories lines. Others carry it, but really don’t highlight it too much, and some have decided  to drop it all together.   

Hudson’s Bay Co. mirrored the challenges confronting the department store industry as it swung to a loss in its fourth quarter  and said it would cut costs and capital spending.   

Ralph Lauren Corp. is shaking things up—and cutting costs.   The company, which has been struggling with weak sales,  on Tuesday said it would reduce corporate staff, close its Polo flagship on Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue, and move its online platform to Salesforce’s CommerceCloud solution.    

Is Staples looking to go private?   Less than a year after its deal to acquire Office Depot Inc. fell through due to antitrust concerns, Staples is in early discussions with private-equity bidders, according to The Wall Street Journal.   Staples had no comment on the report, which said that based on typical takeover premiums, the office supply chain could be valued at roughly $7 billion or more. But the news sent its stock soaring to a four-year high on Tuesday morning