Houston — Apparel and accessories retailer Francesca’s has received approval from the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware to enter into a sale agreement with TerraMar Capital and Tiger Capital Group. Under the new ownership, the Houston-based retailer will open about 275 stores, or roughly half its total count, for business and retain its current management team, according to The Wall Street Journal. Under the terms of the agreement, known as a stalking horse asset purchase agreement, the buyers have agreed to purchase substantially all of the Francesca’s assets for approximately $17 …
Bloomfield Hills, Mich. — The Taubman Co. LLC has announced that Executive Vice President and CFO Simon Leopold will depart the company effective Jan. 31. Benjamin Meeker, who currently serves as vice president, capital markets and treasurer, will be promoted to senior vice president, CFO and treasurer. Meeker will report to Robert Taubman, who is chairman, president and CEO. Leopold will remain an advisor to the company to assist with the transition. Taubman is engaged in the management and leasing of 26 regional, super-regional and outlet malls in the U.S. and …
Boca Raton, Fla. — ODP Corp. (Nasdaq: ODP), the parent company of Office Depot, has rejected USR Parent Inc.’s off-market transaction offer to acquire the Boca Raton-based retailer. USR, the parent company of office products retailer Staples and affiliate of Sycamore Partners, offered to buy ODP for $40 per share in an all-cash deal that would equate to roughly $2.1 billion. In a letter to Stefan Kaluzny, managing director of Sycamore Partners and a member of the board of directors at USR, ODP’s chairman of the board of directors Joseph …
San Diego — Petco ended its first day of trading on Nasdaq on Thursday at $29.40 per share, 63 percent higher than its initial public offering (IPO). The San Diego-based pet care retailer is trading under the stock symbol WOOF. Petco priced its IPO at $18 per share, and the stock price opened at $26 per share Thursday. Petco operates more than 1,500 stores in the United States, Puerto Rico and Mexico and sells food, toys and healthcare needs for a variety of pets. Additionally, more than 100 Petco locations …
Alpharetta, Ga. — Trademark Property Co. will oversee the redevelopment of North Point Mall in Alpharetta. According to several media outlets, the previous owner, Brookfield Properties, relinquished ownership back to New York Life Insurance Co. earlier this month. Trademark will also manage and lead the leasing effort for the property. North Point Mall spans 1.3 million square feet and is located near the intersection of Ga. Highway 400 and Encore Parkway, 25 miles north of downtown Atlanta. The enclosed mall features 129 stores and restaurants, including Dillard’s, JC Penney, Von …
London — Norman Abdallah has been named CEO of the Gordon Ramsay North America Restaurant Group. Abdallah most recently served as CEO of Del Frisco’s Restaurant Group. Prior to joining Del Frisco’s, he was the operating partner for private equity firm CIC Partners, focusing on restaurant portfolio companies. Abdallah’s resume also includes interim CEO of Dinosaur BBQ, president and CEO of Romano’s Macaroni Grill, and president and CEO of Restaurants Unlimited. He is also the co-founder and former CEO of Fired Up Inc., the parent company of Carino’s Italian. In …
Minneapolis — For the November and December holiday season, Target’s comparable sales rose 17.2 percent over the same period last year. Store-originated sales grew 4.2 percent and digital sales grew 102 percent. Store traffic increased 4.3 percent and the average ticket grew by 12.3 percent. The Minneapolis-based retailer also reported that its same-day services, such as order pick-up and drive-up, rose 193 percent. “The momentum in our business continued in the holiday season with notable market share gains across our entire product portfolio,” said Brian Cornell, chairman and CEO, in …
Philadelphia — Urban Outfitters reported an 8.4 percent sales decrease for the two months that ended Dec. 31, 2020 relative to that period in 2019. The Philadelphia-based apparel retailer said that lower sales within its brick-and-mortar stores were partially offset by double-digit sales growth across the digital platforms of its family of brands, which includes Free People and Anthropologie Group. For the fiscal year 2020, the company’s net sales declined by 14.3 percent year-over-year, although the retailer did open 18 new stores over the last 12 months. In addition, Urban …
Warren, Mich. — Loves Furniture & Mattresses, owned by Dallas-based private equity firm U.S. Assets Inc., filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection this week amid struggles brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Loves was formed in April of this year and acquired 27 Art Van Furniture locations across Michigan, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Illinois, Virginia and Maryland in May. That deal did not include the stores’ underlying real estate, which had already been sold off, according to reports by the Detroit Free Press. The company also opened or acquired 13 additional locations between May …
Columbus, Ohio — L Brands Inc., the parent company of retailers Victoria’s Secret and Bath & Body Works, reported that its same-store sales during the holiday period grew 5 percent, compared with a 3 percent drop one year ago. Shoppers purchased more loungewear, hand soap and candles ahead of the new year. Comparable sales at Bath & Body Works increased 17 percent for the nine-week period that ended Jan. 2. Columbus-based L Brands expects to report its fourth-quarter earnings Feb. 24.