Events

On the eve of its next fundraising campaign, Publix is celebrating 20 years of raising more than $51 million for the March of Dimes.

To support more breakthroughs for babies, the grocery giant will ask its customers to join them in their annual fundraising drive from April 6-26. The register campaign coincides with March for Babies, the March of Dimes signature event, which occurs on April 25 in most areas. Associates will sell the cutouts at the checkout and ask customers to sign their name or the name of a baby they love.

At the recent GlobalShop show in Las Vegas two trade groups serving the visual merchandising industry said their boards voted to pursue a merger agreement.

The boards of directors of the Association for Retail Environments (ARE) and the Point of Purchase Advertising International (POPAI) voted to enter a due diligence phase and work in good faith toward a definitive agreement to merge the two associations.

San Juan -- The Mall of San Juan, the first upscale shopping center in Puerto Rico, officially opened its doors on March 26. The 650,000-sq.-ft. shopping center, developed through a partnership between Taubman and New Century Development, has a retail line-up includes the Caribbean's only Nordstrom and Saks Fifth Avenue. Sixty percent of the tenants are unique to the market.

The mall is certainly not dead in Puerto Rico, where Taubman Centers Inc. held the grand opening for the Mall of San Juan on Thursday.

The island's first upscale shopping center features a singular collection of retailers, more than 60% of which are unique-to-market and the Caribbean's only Nordstrom and Saks Fifth Avenue. The 650,000-square-foot shopping center was developed through a partnership between Taubman and New Century Development, Inc.

New York -- Thor Equities has signed a contract to acquire a prime retail and office property at 102 Avenue des Champs-Elysees in Paris. “102 Avenue des Champs-Elysees is at the center of one of the most desirable locations in the world, just blocks from the Arc de Triomphe and Place Charles de Gaulle,” said Joseph Sitt, CEO of Thor Equities.  “We continue to believe strongly in the Paris retail market, in particular prime shopping and tourist destinations such as the Champs-Elysees and Boulevard Haussmann.”
 

The Army and Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES) recently conducted a first-of-its-kind initiative designed to simplify the process of selling to the major retailer.

Working with the American Logistics Association, AAFES participated in the trade group’s 2015 Exchange Impact Workshop in Dallas. Led by AAFES Chief Merchandising Officer Ana Middleton, she and more than 50 AAFES representatives detailed the Exchanges’ go to market strategy to an audience comprised of manufacturers, brokers, distributors, and service providers.

Las Vegas -- The boards of directors of A.R.E. (the Association for Retail Environments) and POPAI (Point of Purchase Advertising International) have voted to enter a due diligence phase and work in good faith toward a definitive agreement to merge the two associations.

At their respective board meetings held during GlobalShop in Las Vegas this week, both not-for-profit groups agreed to a preliminary framework that will allow them to better serve their members and advance the industry as a combined organization.

Las Vegas -- Kleinfeld Hudson’s Bay, a glamorous bridal shop on the top floor of the Hudson’s Bay’s flagship and headquarters building in Toronto,  took the big prize — Store of the Year — in the Association for Retail Environments 2015 Design Awards. The annual awards recognize the best in retail design, store fixtures and visual presentation.