Strategy

Washington, D.C. — The Fairfax, Virginia, City Council has approved a rezoning application for Combined Properties’ Fairfax Circle Plaza. The project aims to redevelop the current strip retail center and replace it with a mixed-use development with up to 400 new apartments and 88,000 sq. ft. of retail including a grocery store.

The project is located at the intersection of two major routes just over a half mile from the Vienna, Virginia, Metro station.

First-quarter sales at Guess fell in North America and Europe. Despite a net loss of $2.1 million, compared with net earnings of $9.9 million in the year-ago period, the company touted strong momentum in its e-commerce business, adding that it remains a key initiative as consumer demand continues shifting to that channel.

New York — Faith Hope Consolo, chairman, and Joseph Aquino, executive VP of Douglas Elliman’s Retail Group, has leased a multi-level space at 45 East 58th Street in the Plaza District in Manhattan, to Caruso, the exclusive Italian menswear label.

The new location will be Caruso’s first in the United States. It will be the brand’s New York flagship and showroom.

Formerly the Spanierman Gallery, the unusually large space encompasses more than 11,000 sq. ft. on two levels.

Old Bridge, N.J. — Max Challenge Franchising, a fitness center franchisor, has appointed R.J. Brunelli & Co. as its exclusive national tenant representative.

Max Challenge studios currently operate throughout much of New Jersey, Staten Island, New York, and metropolitan Sacramento, California.

The company is seeking 2,000 to 3,000-sq.-ft. locations in the Hoboken/Edgewater, Montclair, Bergen County and Cherry Hill markets in New Jersey.

San Bernardino, California -- Plans are well underway to open two new state-of-the-art "Blue Ribbon" Stater Bros. Supermarkets in California, with one in Covina (Los Angeles County) and the other in Menifee (Riverside County).  

Washington, D.C. – U.S. consumer spending fell by $8.1 billion, or 0.1%, in April 2014. It was the first monthly decline in consumer spending since April 2013 and followed a 1% increase of $117.6 billion the previous month.

New York -- The Federal Trade Commission on Friday determined that the merger between Men’s Wearhouse and Jos. A. Bank does not violate antitrust laws. The commission had been conducting a detailed review of the proposed $1.8 billion deal.

The Men’s Wearhouse expects to close on its acquisition for Jos. A. Bank in the next 30 days after Men's Wearhouse agreed to pay $65 a share for Jos. A. Bank earlier this year in a deal valued at $1.8 billion that will create a company with more than 1,700 stores and pro forma annual sales of $3.5 billion.

New York – Fairway Market has begun working with Google Express to launch an online shopping platform with same-day delivery throughout Manhattan. The shopping interface allows consumers to shop approximately 12,000 Fairway SKUs seamlessly across multiple devices.

The integration of Google Express allows Fairway to leverage Google's technology and distribution network to increase delivery capacity and expand the Fairway footprint.