Awards

Dollar Tree is making headway on its strategic move into the nation’s most densely populated state.   The value chain has executed five leases at locations in New Jersey, the largest a 12,230-sq.-ft. inline space at Plainfield Plaza, a grocery-anchored center in Plainfield, according to R.J. Brunelli, Dollar Tree’s real estate representative in the state.   Other locations:   Toms River: 10,200-sq.-ft. freestanding space on Route 37

Trending Stores: The Frye Company’s location in Denver took top honors as Store of the Year in the 2017 Shop! store design competition. With a design that celebrates the artisan heritage of Frye, one of the country’s oldest footwear companies, the 2,460-sq.-ft. store has a warm and comfortable vibe, with a modern ski-lodge aesthetic. Local references include a massive working fireplace dressed with stone from local quarries, and rugs woven with American Indian motifs.

Every business magazine sports an “X Under 40” list celebrating precocious professionals. But, really, isn’t it almost always youthful drive and optimism that feeds the engine of progress?

The stories of Chain Store Age’s 2017 list of over-achievers under 40 abound with examples of young people from different disciplines who all discovered retail real estate as the perfect channel for their passions.

Retail and restaurant executives, architects, suppliers and other industry professionals involved in store design/planning, construction and facility management gathered together for Chain Store Age’s 53rd annual SPECS conference.

The event, held at the Gaylord Palms in Kissimmee, Fla., focused on the evolution and innovation of physical stores in a digital age, and explored industry trends that are transforming how stores are designed, built, operated and maintained.

Five dynamic retail and restaurant brands — Altar’d State, Bentley’s Pet Stuff, MOD Pizza, Sugarfina and Warby Parker — took home the honors as the winners of Chain Store Age’s annual Breakout Retailer Awards.

The awards, selected by CSA’s editorial board and sponsored by Paint Folks, recognize innovative retail and restaurant concepts that are on their way up —brands that have crossed the “newbie” line, and are well positioned for growth, in store, online, or both.

The Retail Design Institute’s most prestigious event is returning to New York.    The Institute will hold its 46th Annual Design Awards Gala & Fundraiser at Current at Chelsea Piers, overlooking the Hudson River and Chelsea Piers marina, on May 24, 2017, from 6-9 p.m. The event will celebrate Best in Class Design projects from around the world, and also the winner of the coveted Store of the Year award. Proceeds from the event will benefit the Institute's 2017 Student Design Competition Prize Fund.  

Daniel Goodwin, chairman and CEO of Inland Real Estate Group, was presented with the first Lifetime Achievement Award ever bestowed by Illinois Realtors, a century-old trade association with 44,000 members.   “Dan Goodwin is an example of that rare person who excels not only as a businessman, but also as a compassionate leader who is interested in helping others realize the dream of property ownership,” said Doug Carpenter, president of Illinois Realtors.  

The Harris Poll has released its 29th annual study of America’s top brands, and Kohl’s is one of the retail brands on top.   Kohl’s earned the top position in the department store category of the poll, in which more than 100,000 U.S. consumers assessed more than 4,000 brands across more than 450 categories.    Other retailers named as Brands of the Year included:     Luxury department store: Nordstrom  Off-price: TJ Maxx 

Time was in New York City that new restaurants sprang up in the ground floors of old brownstones in Midtown or tenement buildings in Greewich Village and were deemed worthy or not by the demanding standards of Manhattanites. Not so in New York’s newest neighborhood.  

British online fast-fashion retailer Missguided makes the leap to physical retail with a high-concept, high-impact store at Westfield Stratford City mall in London.   Featuring an “on-air” television studio concept, the 20,000-sq.-ft. space delivers a dynamic live stream of real-time content, fashion and inspiration in a bold environment. It reflects the desire of its young, Snapchat-obsessed core audience for the new by offering a constantly changing space that includes plenty of shareable moments.