Development/Redevelopment

Company HQ: New York City

Company Website: www.olshanproperties.com

Project Owner: RPAI

Company HQ: Oak Brook, Illinois

Project Location: Gaithersburg, Maryland

Project Size: 258,000 sq. ft. of retail space

Project Status: Open and operating

Company Website: www.rpai.com

Project Owner: Equus Capital Partners

Exclusive Leasing Agents for Project: Metro Commercial Real Estate (Glenn Marvin and Steve Niggeman)

Metro Commercial HQ: Philadelphia, Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania; and Mt. Laurel, New Jersey

Project Location: Newtown Square, Pennsylvania

Developer: National Realty & Development Corp.

Company HQ: Purchase, New York

Project Location: Middletown, New Jersey

Project Size: 380,000 sq. ft.

Project Status: Opening 2017

Project Website: www.shoppesatmiddletown.com

Some parts of the country are still waiting for economic recovery, but the Northeast is already enjoying a return to financial prosperity.

The Northeastern U.S. offers a consumer base that is better educated and wealthier than that of many other areas. As a result, vacancies in Northeast centers tend to be low, giving landlords leverage in determining rents and tenant mixes.

Whether it’s a complete remodel or just a refresh, retailers have a variety of options — and decisions to make — when it comes to updating their store interiors. BrandPoint Services’ Steve Hearon talked with Chain Store Age about store update programs.

What are some of the most common mistakes retailers make when undertaking a refresh, remodel or rebranding program?

The ongoing quest of Sears Holding Corp. to leverage its vast real estate portfolio helped pave the way for British fast-fashion retailer Primark to enter the United States, giving the import access to space in malls throughout the Northeast.

In late 2014, Primark struck a deal with Sears to lease a total of approximately 520,000 sq. ft. in seven Sears mall-based locations. All the space is expected to be delivered to Primark by the end of 2015.

Over the past 15 years or so, fast-fashion has evolved from a trend to a phenomenon to an industry standard — one that has largely redefined the U.S. apparel retailing landscape.

From home-grown Forever 21 to Swedish import H&M, the market is awash in stores offering cheap, on-trend clothes at low prices. And now another import has entered the mix, Primark, which opened its first U.S. store in September, in Boston, the first of eight initial locations.

So many new stores, so little space. Here are my top faves of the year:

(Photos courtesy of Toys 'R' Us)