Supply Chain & Merchandising

FREMONT, Calif. — Men's Wearhouse has signed a definitive agreement to acquire JA Holding, the parent company of American clothing brand Joseph Abboud, for approximately $97.5 million in cash, subject to certain adjustments. 

JA Holding is currently majority-owned by funds affiliated with J.W. Childs Associates, L.P. The transaction is expected to close in the third quarter of 2013.

Chicago – Crocs Inc. has selected ShopperTrak to provide retail traffic counting and analytics in store locations worldwide. In November 2012, Crocs started using a managed service from ShopperTrak at more than 170 stores. It completed a global rollout in spring 2013.

Walter Loeb has been a part of the retail industry longer than many of the retail executives running Walmart have been alive. And he, like many retail analysts who follow the company, have marveled at its accomplishments over the years.

However, that wasn’t the case earlier this week when Loeb let Walmart have it over what he regarded as deplorable store standards.

Chattanooga, Tenn. -- The Outlet Shoppes at Atlanta celebrated its grand opening with a ribbon-cutting ceremony this morning.

A joint venture and co-development of CBL & Associates Properties and Horizon Group Properties, the 370,000-sq.-ft. center features a host of national brands and designer outlets.

Located north of Atlanta at a newly constructed exit off Interstate 575, more than 112,000 vehicles pass the site daily. The center is also convenient to travelers on Interstates 75, 85, and 20.

Sales at Scholastic Corp fell sharply during the company’s fourth quarter ended May 31 and most of the drop was blamed on the waning popularity of the Hunger Games trilogy.

The global children's publishing, education and media company said sales declined to $506.9 million in the fourth quarter compared to $676.6 million last year and earnings per share fell to 76 cents from $1.86 last year.

Safeway digested an unprecedented amount of change during the second quarter and still managed to achieve solid profit improvement and a respectable amount of sales growth while strengthening its balance sheet.

Minneapolis – Supervalu Inc. reported a higher net loss and lower net income during the first quarter of fiscal 2014, compared to the first quarter of the prior fiscal year. Net loss totaled $105 million, up from $18 million year earlier, although one-time after-tax charges of $139 million pushed Supervalu into the red. Net sales were $5.16 billion, a 1.5% drop from $5.24 billion a year earlier.

SALT LAKE CITY — Overstock.com reported net revenue of $293.2 million for the second quarter ended June 30, a 22% increase from $239.5 million for the same quarter last year. The growth in net revenue was primarily due to a 21% increase in average order size.