Events

Santa Monica, Calif. -- Mall owner Macerich is hosting a large-scale, week-long public event at its Scottsdale Fashion Square property, as a tie-in to the NFL’s Super Bowl XLIX showdown on Feb. 1 between the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots. Fan Fest Scottsdale, held Jan. 26-Feb. 1, is designed to attract thousands of fans converging on metro Phoenix for pro football's biggest game of the year.  

Livonia, Mich. -- Schostak Brothers & Company has completed leases for five new tenants at its Northville Park Place property, located in Northville, Michigan.

A joint venture between Schostak Brothers & Company and REI Investment Group, the 65,000-sq.-ft. mixed-use development is set to welcome: Tom + Chee grilled cheese and tomato soup restaurant; Red Olive restaurant; Sports Clips; Gazelle Sports; and MOD Pizza.

Washington, D.C. – Valentine’s Day should be especially sweet for retailers this year. According to the National Retail Federation (NRF) Valentine’s Day Consumer Spending Survey conducted by Prosper Insights and Analytics, the average person celebrating Valentine’s Day will spend $142.31 on candy, flowers, apparel and more.

That figure is up 6% from $133.91 in 2013. Total spending is expected to reach $18.9 billion, a survey high.

New York -- In today's data-filled world, many retailers are missing some of the most basic — and important — metrics of all: store data and conversion rates. Join this Chain Store Age Webinar on Jan. 29, 2 p.m. (EST), and learn how the insights gained from this data can give companies an edge in today's hypercompetive, omnichannel retail environment. Analytics expert Mark Ryski will discuss how insights from store traffic and conversion analytics can help retailers deliver better results.

New York – Consumers mostly spent within their means during the 2014 holiday season. Only one-in-six Americans spent more than expected this holiday season, according to a new Bankrate.com report.  

This is consistent with readings in previous years. Millennials (Americans ages 18-29) were twice as likely as those ages 30-49 to have spent more during the holidays than intended. Overall, one-in-four Americans spent less than expected this holiday season.

Grapevine, Texas – GameStop is running its annual “Re-Fun Your Refund” program. Starting Jan. 26 and running through March 1, customers can use their tax refund to pick up video games or electronics.

GameStop is offering a variety of discounts and special offers for video games, consumer electronics, and accessories. For the second consecutive year, GameStop is partnering with H&R Block to bring exclusive GameStop deals to H&R Block Emerald Card holders and can be redeemed at all GameStop store locations or online.

Vice presidents of merchandising at Fry’s Food Stores and Ralph’s and two other executives are the newest members of the board of the Western Association of Food Chains.

The trade group said four new members were elected to its board at its annual meeting this month in LaQuinta, Ca. Joining the board are Monica Garnes, Vice President of Merchandising at Fry’s, Dennis Gibson, president of QFC Stores, Valerie Jabbar, Vice President of Merchandising at Ralphs and Rob McDougall, President and CEO of Gelson’s.

Cupertino, Calif. – Mickey Drexler, chairman and CEO of J. Crew and former CEO and president of Gap Inc., is retiring from the board of directors of Apple Inc. as of March 2015. Apple disclosed the impending retirement in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Drexler has served on the Apple board since 1999 and is currently its longest-tenured member. No replacement has been announced. Drexler was initially recruited to the Apple board to help the company, which opened its first store in 2001, create a retail strategy.