Events

Washington, D.C. -- The House has passed legislation broadening a federal tax law that makes it cheaper for retailers to remodel their stores, the National Retail Federation said.

Lawmakers voted 258-160 today to make “bonus depreciation” permanent, and granted NRF’s request that it be expanded to include stores that are owned rather than just those that are leased. The measure now heads to the Senate.

Denham Springs, La. — Belk will open a 75,000-sq.-ft. store in Denham Springs, Louisiana, near Baton Rouge, that will become the first department store anchor at the regional lifestyle center at Juban Crossing. The grand opening is slated for October 15.

The new, $7-million store will feature the latest retail design and décor for the Charlotte, North Carolina chain.

New York -- J.C. Penney has teamed up with NBC’s “Today Show” to display five mannequins created in the image of real Americans in the windows of its store in Manhattan. The mannequins, which include a model of woman in a wheelchair and a male double-leg amputee, were made by Fusion Specialties, Broomfield, Colorado.

Beachwood, Ohio - DDR Corp. will hold the grand opening of Seabrook Commons, the company’s most recent ground-up development project located in Seabrook, New Hampshire, on Aug. 12. This 380,000-sq.-ft. prime power center is 96% leased, anchored by Wal-Mart, Dick's Sporting Goods, PetSmart, Michaels, Ulta, Famous Footwear and Five Below, and features a complementary restaurant lineup that includes Panera, Outback Steakhouse and Noodles & Company.

Phillipsburg, N.J. -- National Realty & Development Corp. announced that Hobby Lobby has opened its 56,000-sq.-ft. store at Pohatcong Plaza in Phillipsburg, New Jersey.

Pohatcong Plaza is a 562,000-sq.-ft. power center located at the intersection of Route 22 and Greenwich Road, 1/2 of a mile northwest of Interstate-78 off of Exit 3.

Americans have never had greater access to amazing consumer electronics products thanks to eye-popping innovation that is translating to uneven growth and interesting implications for the holiday season, according to the latest sales projections from the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA).

New York – Barnes & Noble Inc. is running month-long omnichannel “Get Pop-Cultured” pop culture promotion during July. The effort promotes books, characters, movies, artists, illustrators and pop culture icons with themed events, author signings, panel discussions, contests, exclusive content, giveaways and prizes, sneak peeks and activities.

If Amazon makes good on its guidance for the second quarter, sales during the period ended June 30 rose somewhere between 15% and 26% to range from $18.1 billion to $19.8 billion.