REAL ESTATE

Mall of America turns 25
It was 25 years ago today the Ghermezian family taught American shoppers to play. The Ghermezians and their Triple Five development company had already set a new standard for enclosed shopping centers with their West Edmonton Mall. But on August 11, 1992, on the former site of Metropolitan Stadium in Bloomington, Minnesota, they and managing agent Simon created a whole new ball game.
Going Dutch: Are bike garages in your future?
As more retailers begin to adopt the Bonobos-style showroom store as their brick-and-mortar strategies, will bike garages become a new fixture in malls and shopping centers? If so, the city of Utrecht in the Netherlands might prove the design test case. It just opened the first phase of what will be the world’s largest bike garage at the Central Train Station, a 184,000-sq.-ft. space capable of holding 12,500 bikes at full build-out.

Ivanka Trump opening store in her father's namesake building

The Ivanka Trump brand is making its second foray into freestanding retail. The company will open a location in Trump Tower on Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue this fall, giving the tourists who visit the site a chance to buy Ivanka Trump-branded merchandise, Bloomberg reported. The brand previously had a jewelry shop in Manhattan, which closed in 2015. It also shuttered its only other location, a luxury shop in Beijing.
Canadian outerwear brand in brick-and-mortar expansion

A premium outerwear best known for its signature goose-down jacket with fur-trimmed hood is expanding its fledgling store footprint. Canada Goose Holdings Inc. announced plans to open three additional retail stores this fall, with locations in Boston, Calgary (Canada), and Tokyo, Japan. Also opening this fall are two previously announced stores in Chicago and London.
Leasing opens at One Hudson Yards

New York City’s transformation of an old warehouse district into a Jetson-esque neighborhood of the future begins in earnest this week with leasing beginning at the 33-story One Hudson Yards residential tower. “One Hudson Yards was curated for those who seek an elevated sense of living,” said Benjamin Joseph, Executive VP of Related Companies, developer and leasing agent for the massive project.
Abercrombie & Fitch continues rollout of new store prototype

Abercrombie & Fitch Co. has brought its updated store environment to Tysons Corner Center, Tysons, Va. The location is one of seven new concept stores the retailer will open by yearend. Abercrombie debuted the new look in February, at Polaris Fashion Mall in Columbus, Ohio. It has also opened at Lenox Square, Atlanta, Georgia, and at Somerset North, Troy, Michigan (Somerset North).
Simon launches ‘concierge bot’

Simon is debuting a new type of concierge — one that never calls in sick. The mall owner launched a chatbot designed to deliver customers at its 208 North American centers useful information as they shop. Described as the industry’s first enterprise-wide bot, the artificial intelligence-based technology is available through Facebook Messenger, and provides store and restaurant information, hours of operation, special events, daily promotions and a list of available amenities.
Nation's largest mall is ‘mapping out’ a better shopping experience

Technology that works like GPS for indoor locations is helping shoppers find their way through Mall of America.
Timberland unveils new experiential store format

Timberland has opened a new concept store that will be completely transformed with a new theme and products every six weeks.
Popular British brand to jump the pond

Hunter, best known for its signature rain boots, is expanding its fledgling retail footprint. The iconic British brand will make its North American freestanding retail debut in October, at Yorkdale Shopping Centre in Toronto.