Boston-based Aria Partners, which owns 4 percent of the struggling Plymouth-based women's clothing retailer, has agreed to buy the company for $1.75 per share. Christopher & Banks “immediately dismissed” an offer Aria made last month.

Christopher & Banks has named veteran retail executive LuAnn Via to be its new president and chief executive officer, the Pioneer Press reports. Via was most recently the CEO of Payless Shoes. She will start her new role with the women's apparel company on Nov. 26. Via replaces Joel Waller, who took over when Larry Barenbaum left the struggling Plymouth-based retailer in February.

The women's clothing company based in Plymouth says it plans to close the stores by the end of January and will also lay off employees at its corporate office.

The company says it will be closing its Albert Lea and merging its two locations in Roseville into one. Weak sales forced the women's clothing retailer to cut about 20 percent of its staff earlier this month.

Richard Schulze is reportedly talking with banks and looking for potential buyout partners as he considers taking the beleaguered Richfield-based electronics retailer private, Bloomberg reports. Schuzle is Best Buy's largest shareholder -- controlling 20.1 percent of the company's stock. The 71-year-old abruptly step down as chairman of the board earlier this month to explore his options.

Union leaders say 90 percent of members who cast ballots voted against the company's latest offer. The rejection means 1,300 workers are heading into the fourth month of their lockout.

The two major Minnesota-based companies have watched stock prices drop dramatically as they struggle to grow sales. Some analysts believe the Richfield-based electronics retail giant and the Eden Prairie-based supermarket operator could be a prime target for cheap leveraged buyouts. The Star Tribune explains...