Mass Merchant

Goodlettsville, Tenn. - Dollar General Corporation has extended its tender offer to acquire all outstanding shares of Family Dollar Stores Inc. for $80 per share, or about $9.1 billion, to Oct. 31. The offer was previously set to expire on Oct. 8. All other terms and conditions of the tender offer remain unchanged.

The step, which is largely procedural step, came as Family Dollar remained committed to its previously- agreed-upon deal with Dollar Tree for $74.50 a share.

The Bon-Ton board of directors has added Beth Grumbacher, daughter of board chairman and strategic initiatives officer Tim Grumbacher, to its ranks, expanding the number of members to 10.

Conshohocken, Pa. -- Ikea has begun significant demolition of a 30,145-sq.-ft. building adjacent to its Detroit-area store in Canton, Michigan. Razing of the vacant retail building will make room for the Swedish retailer’s planned expansion of its Canton location. The 311,000-sq.-ft. store, which opened June 2006, will grow nearly 44,000 sq. ft., with the project’s completion by summer 2015.

Beachwood, Ohio – During third quarter 2014, DDR Corp. closed on the acquisition of eight prime power centers and the sale of seven operating assets and two land parcels, totaling $699 million of executed transactions. Seven of the eight power centers that the company acquired were purchased for $377 million at DDR's share from a joint venture formed with Blackstone Real Estate Partners VII L.P. in August 2013.

New York - Imports to the U.S. were up in August from July, and there was a measurable year-over-year increase. According to a new report from supply chain research firm Panjiva, imports in August 2014 were 4% higher than imports the same month the prior year.

Was he or wasn’t he? Unfortunately for Walmart, a legitimate question about whether comedian Tracy Morgan and his entourage were wearing seatbelts the night their limousine was rear-ended by a Walmart truck has made a bad situation worse for the retailer.

Dublin, Calif. - Ross Dress for Less will open two new stores in North Florida on Oct. 11. The stores are located in the Lakeland Park Center in Lakeland and Forest Lakes Plaza in Oldsmar.  

These new openings are part of the retailer’s 2014 expansion program, totaling approximately 75 new locations during the year.

Dublin, Calif. -- Ross Dress for Less will open a new store in Colorado on Oct. 11. The store is located in Prairie Center in the community of Brighton, eight miles northwest of Denver.

This new opening is part of the retailer’s 2014 expansion program, totaling approximately 75 new locations during the year.