Development/Redevelopment

Fresh off the resignation of CEO Brian Dunn and the revelation that the company lost a not-so- insignificant sum of $1.7 billion last quarter, Best Buy’s recent announcement to close 50 stores by the end of 2012 probably didn’t come as a surprise to anyone in our industry. What may have been surprising to some — myself included — is their plan to roll out 100 Best Buy Mobile stores.

MINNEAPOLIS — Another 90 Target stores are slated to receive fresh food in June as part of a major remodeling initiative that has become known simply as PFresh.

Cincinnati -- Macy’s will open a store in Sarasota, Fla., in fall 2014. The two-level, 160,000-sq.-ft. Macy’s will be an anchor of the new Mall at University Town Center, which is due to begin construction later this year.

Macy’s currently operates three stores in the Sarasota-Bradenton market – at Southgate Mall, Sarasota Square and DeSoto Square.
 

New York -- Hennes & Mauritz AB (H&M) will enter Latin America this fall, opening a flagship in Centro Santa Fé, Mexico City.

“We look very much forward to opening the first H&M flagship store in Mexico. It will be the perfect first step for H&M into this fashion conscious region,” said Karl-Johan Persson, CEO, H&M.
 

New York -- Pompei A.D. announced that Vanessa Rose has been promoted to chief marketing officer.

Previously, Rose was executive director of business development at Pompei A.D. As CMO, she will be responsible for overseeing the firm’s current expansion in the United States including Hawaii, as well as globally in Dubai and throughout Asia.
 

Davenport, Iowa -- Von Maur Inc. will expand its women's specialty store concept, Dry Goods, with the opening of a 4,500-sq.-ft. location this fall at Orland Square Mall in Orland Park, Ill. The store will be the specialty store chain's third location in the Greater Chicagoland area and the seventh Dry Goods store overall.

The new Dry Goods will feature leading brands such as Free People, Hudson, Jessica Simpson, Joe's Jeans and Silver, among others. The store's decor will reflect the chain's vintage, turn-of-the-century aesthetic.

Canton, Mass. -- Dunkin' Donuts announced the signing of a multi-unit store development agreement with three franchise groups to develop 25 new restaurants in Texas over the next several years. The locations include 16 units in Houston and nine in San Antonio.

Dunkin' Donuts' development throughout Texas is part of the company's goal to double the number of Dunkin' restaurants in the United States over the next 20 years.

Burlington, N.J. -- Burlington Coat Factory will open a flagship in Manhattan this fall. It will be the off-price retailer’s sixth location in New York City. The 92,000-sq.-ft., three-level store will be in a building managed by Vornado Real Estate, on the south end of Union Square.

The Union Square flagship is part of a broader plan by Burlington to open more than 20 new stores in 2012.
 

New York -- London has reclaimed the number one position as the most targeted market for international retailers, according to a survey by global property adviser CBRE. It was followed by Dubai, New York City, Moscow and Paris.

Laguna Hills, Calif. -- The Hodgdon Group said it has completed construction on the conversion of a Circuit City building in Laguna Hills, Calif., for the grand opening of an Ashley Furniture HomeStore on Friday, April 20. 



The former Circuit City building was expanded to make way for a fully remodeled 51,000-sq.-ft. retail building, which includes the new 33,000-sq.-ft. Ashley Furniture HomeStore plus Total Wine & More in the remaining 18,000 sq. ft.