Corporate Governance

Cindy Schooler has joined SRS Real Estate Partners as a senior VP in the Orlando, Florida, office directing landlord and tenant representation. She held a similar role with Cushman & Wakefield in Central Florida for the past two years.   Schooler has long experience in retail site selection, having spent eight years performing market analysis and negotiating leases for new restaurant concepts with Restaurant Partners in Orlando. She also spent five years as owner of Cynco Properties, a real estate broker.  

Adhering to its company motto of “Quality Shopping Malls in Compelling Markets,” PREIT reached an agreement to sell the Washington Crown Center in Washington, Pennsylvania. At the same time, it announced it had put the Beaver Valley Mall up for sale.   In a press release, PREIT noted it had embarked on a portfolio optimization program focusing not just on new properties, but on new types of tenants that could fuel growth.  

Hello Kitty Cafe is pretty darn cute — and popular.    Located at the Irvine Spectrum Center in Irvine, California, the pop-up café opened on July 15, and draw such crowds that it had to temporarily close for a few hours. It’s housed within a pink shipping container that has been refurbished to feature a counter and dining patio area, complete with bistro tables and pink-and-white striped awnings. Bold character graphics adorn the exterior and interior container panels.  

Urban Outfitters, which has a history of selling products that can sometimes cause offense (at least to some consumers),  has entered the presidential debate.   The chain is offering a range of merchandise criticizing Donald Trump, Bloomberg reported, including  a book of Trump quotations styled to look like Chinese communist leader Mao Zedong’s Little Red Book.   

By Dan Berthiaume Walmart Canada has begun following through with a June announcement it would gradually stop accepting Visa payments. On June 11, the retailer issued a release stating it would stop accepting Visa payments across Canada, starting July 18 at stores in Thunder Bay, Ontario. Multiple media reports indicate that as of July 18, Walmart Canada is no longer taking payments via Visa-branded cards at three stores in Thunder Bay.

Ross Stores remains among the nation’s most expansion-minded retailers.     The company  is opening a total of 24 Ross Dress for Less stores and seven dd's Discounts stores across 15 different states in June and July. The openings are part of the company's 2016 expansion plans, which call for the opening of approximately 70 Ross stores and 20 dd's Discounts locations throughout the year.   

Retailers are focused on getting leaner.   That’s according to a new study by Accenture, in which 88% of retailers said they were focused on cost reduction to free up funds necessary to reinvest in growth initiatives.  As for where they are those cost savings, the top three areas were expanding into new geographies (cited by 60%), digital technologies (54%) and enhancing customer experiences (52%).  

In a move that could help its employees save money, Starbucks Corp. is increasing the number of health insurance options available to its employees.    The coffee giant announced Monday that beginning this fall it will give eligible U.S. employees (those who work 20 hours or more per week) the ability to buy their insurance coverage through a private health exchange, which will increase the number of insurance options available to them.,   

Urban Outfitters, which has a history of selling products that can sometimes cause offense (at least to some consumers), has entered the presidential debate.   The chain is offering a range of merchandise criticizing Donald Trump, Bloomberg reported, including  a book of Trump quotations styled to look like Chinese communist leader Mao Zedong’s Little Red Book.   

Walmart Canada has begun following through with a June announcement it would gradually stop accepting Visa payments.   On June 11, the retailer issued a release stating it would stop accepting Visa payments across Canada, starting July 18 at stores in Thunder Bay, Ontario. Multiple media reports indicate that as of July 18, Walmart Canada is no longer taking payments via Visa-branded cards at three stores in Thunder Bay.