BLOOMBERG The UK’s competition authority has ordered J Sainsbury Plc and Asda to stop using land agreements that prevent rivals opening nearby stores. The move will benefit discount supermarkets Aldi and Lidl which are opening more outlets as they gain market share in the UK’s highly competitive grocery market. Sainsbury and Asda, the UK’s second- and third-largest grocers, were found …

BLOOMBERG Bed Bath & Beyond Inc has picked Overstock.com Inc as the lead bidder in an upcoming bankruptcy auction for the right to own the big box store’s brand. Overstock’s $21.5 million cash offer has been selected as the stalking-horse bidder for Bed Bath & Beyond’s intellectual property, according to court papers filed, setting the price floor for the bankrupt …

BLOOMBERG Retail executives are sounding the alarm on in-store shoplifting as theft burns a multibillion dollar hole in their balance sheets. While most are vowing to fight back, they’re also expressing fears that they may be largely powerless to stop the problem. As if a possible recession and declining consumer sentiment wasn’t enough to worry about, retail executives are struggling …