Mass Merchant

Houston -- Stage Stores Inc. reported Tuesday that profit for the fourth quarter rose 2% to $32.7 million, from $32 million a year earlier.

Revenue increased 6% to $479.1 million from $453.7 million, beating Wall Street's $468.2 million forecast.

For the year, Stage Stores reported net income of $31 million, down from $37.6 million in the prior year. Annual revenue climbed 3% to $1.51 billion.
 

Baltimore -- Atlanta-based Jones Lang LaSalle Retail announced that its president Greg Maloney has been appointed receiver of the Eastpoint Mall located in Baltimore County. Under Maloney’s leadership, Jones Lang LaSalle’s retail leasing and management team will assume immediate oversight of the mall and help stabilize the asset.

Cincinnati -- Mid-America Real Estate Corp.’s Investments Sales Group announced the recent sale of Stone Creek Towne Center located in Cincinnati.

The property was purchased by Oakbrook, Ill.-based Inland Real Estate for $36 million from a joint venture between Brandicorp and Trinity Development Co.

Jacksonville, Fla. -- Stein Mart said Monday it will open three new stores on March 15, located in Irvine, Calif.; Suwanee, Ga.; and Sunset Hills, Mo.

The Irvine store is a relocation of another Irvine location. The two new and one relocated store bring Stein Mart’s total store count to 264.

“We are pleased to announce the expansion of our footprint in these three existing markets,” said Jay Stein, interim CEO.

TORONTO — Sears Canada is closing three downtown stores in Vancouver, Calgary and Ottawa. The move follows an announcement last month by Sears Holdings, the majority owner of Sears Canada, that it will raise about $770 million by spinning off parts of its business and selling prime real estate.

Sioux Falls, S.D. -- Verizon Wireless services retailer Z Wireless, which operates 12 stores throughout Kansas, on Monday announced the acquisition of T2 Wireless, another Verizon retailer which operates more than a hundred stores in the Great Plains.

Atlantic Street Capital, a private equity firm investing in the lower middle market, acquired Z Wireless in 2011.

Mississauga, Ontario -- Canadian discount store chain The Bargain! Shop said Monday that it will acquire 10 retail locations from Hudson's Bay Co.’s closing Fields banner, effective Aug. 1.

The acquisitions will grow The Bargain! Shop to 237 stores.

"As part of our plan to further grow our organization, this is a great opportunity for us to expand our footprint across Canada," said Lloyd Davis, president of The Bargain! Shop. 

Antofagasta, Chile -- Atlanta-based tvsdesign said Monday it has partnered with Mall Plaza to repurpose the ground level of a parking garage into a high-end retail destination in Antofagasta, Chile.

The new retail destination, with tenants ranging from Roxy to Umbrale and Saville Row, opened in late 2011.

Mall Plaza wanted this new project to be an extension of Aires, a branded environment created by tvsdesign in 2010 and featuring a resort-like shopping district originally located in Plaza Vespucio.