Development/Redevelopment

Los Angeles -- X Team International announced that Los Angeles-based partner Cypress Retail Group has been retained by Property Development Centers, a wholly owned subsidiary of Safeway Inc., to serve as the leasing agent for four shopping centers under development and redevelopment in the Los Angeles area.

The four shopping centers, located in La Canada, La Crescenta, Eagle Rock and Pasadena, are all being redeveloped, renovated or expanded, and are anchored by Vons, a Los Angeles-based, Safeway-owned grocery store.
 

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Books-A-Million announced that it has promoted Terrance Finley, formerly EVP/chief merchandising officer to president and COO of the company, effective immediately. Finley has served in his previous role since August 2009 and in various other capacities in the merchandising department since joining the company in 1992. Finley was appointed to the board of directors of Hibbett Sports Inc. in March 2008.

Dallas -- Cypress Equities said that Freebirds World Burrito has signed a lease to occupy a portion of a new development in Fort Worth, Texas, adjacent to the company’s West 7th development.

The 2,370-sq.-ft. restaurant will mark the third Freebirds in Fort Worth, with other locations near Hulen Mall and at Alliance Town Center. Freebirds World Burrito is owned by Tavistock Restaurants and has more than 50 locations throughout Texas, California and Oklahoma.
 

San Francisco -- Gap announced Monday that it will open its first Banana Republic store in France in Paris in early December. The 15,952-sq.-ft. store will be located on Avenue des Champs Élysées, one of the most popular international shopping destinations in the world.

“Following the success of our London and Milan openings, we are delighted to bring Banana Republic to Paris and take another exciting step in our international growth strategy,” said Stephen Sunnucks, president, International, Gap.
 

PARIS — Gap Inc. has announced plans to open its first Banana Republic store in France in Paris in early December. Synonymous with culture, quality, heritage and style, the store will be , one of the most popular international shopping destinations in the world.

The 15,952 sq. ft. Paris flagship store will be located on Avenue des Champs Élysées and will occupy more than two floors.

New York City -- Saks Inc.’s Saks Fifth Avenue Off 5th announced the addition of five stores for 2012. The new stores will be located in upscale outlet, lifestyle, or strip centers.

The new locations are in Merrimack, N.H., Syracuse, N.Y., Livermore, Calif., Grand Prairie, Texas, and Nashville. The Merrimack store will be the first Off 5th in New Hampshire, and the store in Nashville will be a replacement store for the one lost in the 2010 flood in Tennessee.

NEW YORK — Customers with expensive taste will have greater access to luxury now that Saks is planning to open five new Off 5th stores throughout the United States. According to the company, these new stores will be located in upscale outlet, lifestyle, or strip centers, and each store will be designed in Off 5TH's unique "luxury in a loft" format. The new stores should have a particular appeal to foreign tourists, who helped drive up same-store sales to about 15% at Saks' flagship New York store.

As Hurricane Irene raged up the East Coast over the weekend of Aug. 26-28, Apple -- like many retailers strategically positioned in the storm’s path -- turned out the lights on its New York-area stores, including all three Manhattan locations, New Jersey and Connecticut, to shield itself from Irene’s wrath.

But on the same day it temporarily shuttered its East Coast stores, Apple officially opened locations in North Carolina, Arkansas and, yes, France.