REAL ESTATE

GBT Realty purchased 11.7 acres of land in Kemah, Texas, with plans to build a 79,000-sq.-ft. shopping center, reported mySA, a San Antonio news site. Purchase price was $2.1 million.   According to GBT, the center is 92% leased. Committed tenants include Petco, Marshalls, Ross Dress for Less, and Ulta.    Located south of Houston on Trinity Bay, Kemah has just 2,000 residents, but draws tourists with a boardwalk and entertainment district containing carnival rides, restaurants, and shops.

A digitally native organic baby and toddler's clothing brand has opened its second brick-and-mortar location.    Monica + Andy has opened its first store in New York City, on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The brand was launched online in 2014 by new mom Monica Royer, sister of Andy Dunn, co-founder of Bonobos, the online menswear brand that is rapidly growing its physical store footprint. It features clothing made of kid-friendly fabrics that are free of lead, phthalates and flame-retardants.  

An online clothing brand best known for its signature shirts that are designed to be worn untucked is going to open at Mall of America, in Bloomington, Minnesota.    Untuckit will open a 1,300-sq.-ft. outpost  at the giant mall this fall. It will be the company's first store in Minnesota, and carry shirts for both men and women.      

“Retail that can be replaced by the Internet is suffering. We’re trying to give an experience with great architecture, places to hang out and good people,” Regency Centers’ John Mehigan told the Orange County Register last week. That means food and beverage concepts, and lots of them.  

High-end kitchenware retailer Sur La Table is on a mission to optimize its individual market and expansion strategies.   “Now, more than ever, being able to localize is the key to success,” said Ben Rosenfeld, senior VP of stores at Sur La Table.  

Retailers looking to bring customers in the door need to upgrade the shopping experience with added amenities.    That's according to JLL, whose new report examines how brick-and-mortar retailers can deliver in-store experiences and brand loyalty through added amenities.  The report, JLL’s Retail Amenities Guide, notes that  today's shoppers have countless options when it comes to where they can buy, leaving retailers with fewer opportunities to create brand converts.    

CVS Pharmacy opened its first store in the Centennial State.    CVS Pharmacy’s newest location resides in Parker, Colorado. It is the first of three stores slated to open in the greater Denver market this year.  

Fred Segal is designing its new flagship to be more than a just “a store.” Instead, it’s creating “a style and design laboratory.”