Mass Merchant

Reynoldsburg, Ohio -- Centro Properties Group announced that a 15,426-sq.-ft. Family Dollar recently opened at Brice Park, in Reynoldsburg, Ohio.

Centro Properties Group, based in New York City, is the owner of Brice Park.

Houston -- Datacert, a global provider of enterprise legal management solutions, announced that Walmart has selected Datacert's Passport technology platform, to help strategically manage the chain’s domestic legal processes and systems. In addition, Walmart will implement Datacert's matter management and spend management systems, which are built on Passport.

New York City -- Saks on Wednesday announced it plans to close its Saks Fifth Avenue store located in the Cherry Creek Mall in Denver, Colo., on March 19. With the closing, the company will have closed seven Saks Fifth Avenue stores since July 2010.

Chicago -- Claire's Stores announced the appointment of Jay Friedman as president of the North American Division, reporting to Gene Kahn, CEO effective immediately.

Friedman joins Claire's from Jones Apparel Group where he was most recently president, and CEO, Jones Retail Corp., Nine West Group.

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. - Sears Holdings' SVP procurement and finance has been promoted.

Deidra Cheeks Merriwether now holds the title of SVP and president retail services, succeeding James Haworth. In this role, Merriwether, who joined the corporation in 2001, will be responsible for the oversight and leadership of retail services for the broadline retailer's Kmart and Sears stores.

Merriwether currently serves as a member of Sears Canada's board of directors and is the executive sponsor of the company's African-American Associate Network.

NOVATO, Calif. - Sears Holdings has launched a new online movie download service, Alphaline Entertainment (http://alphaline.roxionow.com), which enables Sears and Kmart customers to download entertainment online, including new movies on the same day they are released on DVD and Blu-ray disc. The service is being provided through Sonic Solutions RoxioNow platform.

Princeton, N.J. -- A report released Tuesday by NAI Global said that real estate conditions worldwide had stabilized and were beginning to improve.

According to NAI Global’s 25th annual Global Market Report, after a prolonged, challenging period marked by frozen credit, sidelined investors, stalled development, rising vacancy rates and declining rental rates and property values, modest improvement is expected in just about every market sector and geography in 2011.

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. - Sears Holdings announced today that apparel veteran Lana Cain Krauter will join the company as SVP and president Sears apparel. She will be responsible for the oversight, leadership and growth of Sears' apparel business, both in-store and online.