Strategy

Chicago — Jones Lang LaSalle announced it has appointed Tod Lickerman as CEO of the firm’s Americas Corporate Solutions business.  

Lickerman, formerly CEO of the Commercial Solutions group, assumes the role effective immediately.  Stuart Hicks, who previously held the CEO for Corporate Solutions role, will assume a new role as President, Strategic Clients, focused on integrating client solutions.

COLUMBUS, Ohio— DSW Inc. and its largest shareholder, Retail Ventures have completed their previously-announced merger.

Gurnee, Ill. — Indianapolis-based Simon Property Group announced that Macy’s will open at Gurnee Mills, the largest outlet and value retail shopping destination in Illinois.

The nearly 140,000-sq.-ft. Macy’s full-line department store is slated to open in spring 2013. It will anchor a new full-price wing at the center, adding a new dimension to Gurnee Mills’ value shopping experience. 

Las Vegas — The International Council of Shopping Centers has named Athleta, Smashburger, Aldi and Fossil as the 2011 Hot Retailer Award winners.

The annual awards, based on a survey of ICSC’s worldwide members, were presented Tuesday at the association’s global retail real estate convention, REConn.

MENOMONEE FALLS, Wis. — Kohl’s Department Stores announced a long-term license agreement with Bobby Flay to renew the chef's exclusive line of home and grill products, which will be available in Kohl’s stores nationwide and Kohls.com beginning February 2012.

Final attendance numbers aren’t available yet, and while RECon 2011 may not have been the really, really big show it was in 2007, the International Council of Shopping Centers’ annual Las Vegas convention was clearly a big event.

Pre-recession, the show attracted in excess of 50,000 retailers, retail service providers and shopping center executives to view the latest and greatest projects coming out of the ground. This year’s May 23 to 25 iteration didn’t pull 50k, but best guesses put attendance at over 30,000. 

Conshohocken, Pa. — Ikea plans to install solar photovoltaic systems on six more of its locations in the Eastern United States. Pending governmental permits, installation will begin in late spring, with completion expected this fall.

Dallas — Zale Corp. said its net loss shrank in its most recent quarter and posted a double-digit revenue gain despite increasing costs for gold, silver and diamonds. The company posted a net loss for the three months that ended on April 30 of $9 million, compared to $12.1 million in its fiscal third quarter last year. Analysts had expected a far deeper loss.

Overall revenue rose 14.5% in the three months that ended on April 30 to $411.8 million, from $359.8 million last year. Analysts had expected $392 million. Same-store sales in the quarter were up 15.2%.