Discount Store

City of Industry, Calif. -- Hot Topic announced it has agreed to be acquired by New York-based private equity firm Sycamore Partners for $14.00 per share in cash, or a total of approximately $600 million.

The agreement, unanimously approved by Hot Topic’s board of directors, represents a premium of approximately 30% over Hot Topic’s closing stock price on March 6, 2013.

Naples, Fla. -- Brixmor Property Group said that Big Lots will open a new store at Park Shore Shopping Center, located in Naples, Fla.

The 35,080-sq.-ft. store will open this year. Park Shore is owned and operated by Brixmor, based in New York City.

New York -- Gap Inc. said Thursday that its February same-store sales rose a better-than-expected 3% for the four weeks ended Feb. 25. Analysts expected a 2% increase.
   
The chain was due to release the sales figures after the market closed, but put them out at midday after they were found in a leaked transcript of prerecorded comments.

By division, same-store sales rose 2% at Gap and 6% at Old Navy. They fell 5% at Banana Republic.

FRAMINGHAM, Mass. and PLEASANTON, Calif. — The TJX Companies and Ross Stores reported comparable-store results that were less than impressive from what the two discount retailers usually deliver.

TJX reported that sales for the four-week period ended March 2, were $1.8 billion, up 7% over the $1.6 billion achieved during the four-week period ended Feb. 25, 2012. Consolidated comparable-store sales for the month were up 1%.

Ewing, N.J. -- North Plainfield, N.J.-based Levin Management Corp. said Wednesday that Dollar Tree will open a store at Capitol Plaza, located in Ewing, N.J. The 13,810-sq.-ft. store is slated to open in the spring.
 
As well, a newly expanded Center for Allied Health & Nursing Education will celebrate its grand reopening at Capitol Plaza in March. The nursing school will be renamed Jersey College School of Nursing; it tripled its space to 30,000 sq. ft. in the shopping center, which is leased and managed by Levin.
 

Boston -- Boston-based The Wilder Cos. announced Wednesday that PetSmart will grand-open its new store on March 9 at Wilder’s Rochester Crossing, N.H., shopping center.

The opening of the 12,000-sq.-ft. store will bring the shopping center to 100% occupancy.

Rochester Crossing, at 304,500 sq. ft., also feature Kohl’s, Lowe’s, Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft, GameStop, Tropical Smoothie and Buffalo Wild Wings.

Columbus, Ohio -- Big Lots reported Wednesday that net income for the fourth quarter rose to $120.3 million, from $114.7 million in the year-ago period. Sales in the U.S. increased 4.4% to $1.7 billion from $1.6 billion, and domestic same-store sales dipped 3.5%.

For the full year, income from continuing operations dropped to $177.2 million, from $207.2 million in the prior fiscal year. This year’s results included $3.4 million in charges related to new inventory system implementation.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Big Lots reported income from continuing operations of $120.3 million, or $2.09 per diluted share, for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2012, meeting the company's expectations for net income to be in the range of $1.91 to $2.10 per diluted share.

Net sales for U.S. operations for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2012 increased 4.4% to $1.8 billion, compared to $1.6 billion for the same period of fiscal 2011. Comparable-store sales for U.S. stores decreased 3.5% for the quarter.