Mass Merchant

Perhaps no single brand had a holiday season quite as rocky as Sears. When the retailer announced a string of bad news on Jan. 9, shares of Sears Holding Corp. (which includes both Sears and Kmart) went through the floor. Holiday sales at Sears stores were down 9.2% in the nine weeks prior to Jan. 6, a brutal figure when you consider that overall retail sales were up slightly over the holidays (which I’ll discuss more in my next column).

In anticipation of the theatrical release of “The LEGO Movie” Friday, Feb. 7, Toys “R” Us is unveiling a dedicated feature shop in stores nationwide Thursday, Jan. 30, as well as online at Toysrus.com/LEGO.

Customers will be able to find the latest movie-inspired products as well as recreate their favorite scenes from the first-ever full-length LEGO adventure film. Toys “R” Us will also host a special event, and offer gifts with purchase and a chance to win prizes, while supplies last.

Bentonville, Ark. – Sam’s Club plans to open new stores on Thursday, Jan. 23, with a location in Warwick, R.I., and one will open in Mooresville, N.C.

Both stores will measure approximately 136,000 sq. ft. and feature a fresh bakery, a tire and battery center, and a café. A pharmacy and a hearing aid center are open to both members and the general public. The Mooresville store also offers the Click N Pull personal shopping service, as well as a fuel station.

Minneapolis – Target Corp. notified Canadian shoppers who visited U.S, Target stores between Nov. 27 and Dec. 15, 2013 that some of their personal data may have been compromised in the major data breach that hit the retailer. According to the Canadian Press, that information includes personal data such as names, addresses, emails and phone numbers, but not financial data.

Minneapolis – Target Corp. continues to take steps in response to the holiday data breach that may have exposed the personal and financial data of up to 110 million consumers to hackers. The Wall Street Journal reports that Target shut down remote access to two internal sites in the aftermath of the massive attack.

Indianapolis – Hhgregg is now offering online ordering with in-store pickup for Apple products, including iPhone, iPad and iPod models and Apple TV devices. Customers can pay in advance and not have to go through in-store checkout.

The Federal Trade Commission has granted Kroger and Harris Teeter Supermarkets early termination of the waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976 with respect to the pending merger transaction between the two companies.
 
The early termination of the HSR waiting period satisfies one of the conditions to the closing of the pending merger, which remains subject to other customary closing conditions. Both companies expect the transaction to be completed before the end of January.

Tucson, Ariz. — Lee & Associates Arizona has negotiated the $24.8 million sale of the River Center, a 117,563-sq.-ft. shopping center anchored by Whole Foods and Petco. Located on East River Road in the Catalina Foothills of northeastern Tucson, the center posted a cap rate of 5.5%.

Lee & Associates Arizona represented the buyer, Global Retail Investors LLC, a subsidiary of First Washington Realty of Bethesda, Md., and the seller, River Center Canada.

River Center was constructed in 1986 and remodeled in 1997 and 2013.