Development/Redevelopment

Johannesburg, South Africa — A Bloomberg report on Sunday said that Massmart Holdings Ltd., the South African retailer controlled by Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., will open 23 new outlets over the next eight months, part of its plan to not only expand its coverage area but also to add jobs in the region. The plan calls for 15,000 jobs over the next three years.

The retailer also said it will repeat a price-cut promotion at its stores.

Seattle -- Nordstrom announced plans to open a new Nordstrom Rack in Temecula, Calif.

The 35,700-sq-ft, store is scheduled to open during spring 2012 at Commons at Temecula, a regional shopping center. It will occupy the former Linens 'n Things space.
 

New York City -- Commercial and high-rise residential buildings, along with federal buildings, must now meet requirements in the ASHRAE/IES 2007 energy standard after rulings issued by the Department of Energy.

Prior to the new rules, federal and commercial buildings had to meet requirements in the 2004 standard.

T-Mobile is rolling out a new design to nearly 400 stores across the country. The new format, which the company adopted from parent company Deutsche Telekom AG, has a streamlined, ultra-modern look, and includes a variety of service options, from standing counters on the sales floor for quick transactions to more private individual service desks where customers can meet with sales associates.

Toano, Va. -- Flooring retailer Lumber Liquidators said Friday it will acquire certain assets of Sequoia Floorings in order to strengthen its mill-direct relationships and shore up its long-term sourcing strategies.

Sequoia, a trading company, had provided product quality and development services on approximately 40% of Lumber Liquidators’ 2010 merchandise purchases, primarily those in Asia.

Quincy. Mass. -- Stop & Shop Supermarket Co. on Saturday will open its third location in Cranston, R.I. The new store will pursue LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification in the coming months.

The new Stop & Shop was built with a range of energy-efficient features, including a fabric duct ventilation system (from DuctSox). The application, designed to provide more uniform airflow is first of its kind use for Stop & Shop.

Other energy-saving features include:

Columbus, Ohio -- DSW said Thursday that it opened two new stores on Sept. 28.

A new store opened at Vintage Oaks Shopping Center in Novato, Calif., and a new store opened the same day in Boise, Idaho, at Franklin Towne Plaza.

 

Tempe, Ariz. -- Self-serve frozen yogurt concept Yogurtini said Thursday it will open the first of 10 stores planned for the southern Florida area.

A unit in Coral Springs, Fla., will open on Oct. 1, marking the first of 10 franchise locations through an area-development deal with Emilio and Javier Braun.

The brothers, who are based in Miami, are in the process of opening stores in Davie, Fort Lauderdale and the Hammocks Community in South Miami-Dade County.
 

As part of our in-depth coverage of mixed-use developments – see the October 2011 issue of Chain Store Age – we talked with Rob Wetherald, VP development for Peoria, Ill.-based Cullinan Properties, Ltd., owner and developer of the Streets of St. Charles mixed-use project in metro St. Louis, about how the format draws, and supports, retail.

How important are design and amenities to today’s mixed-use projects, especially with regard to the retail component?

Cherry Hill, N.J. -- As part of the $200-million redevelopment of Cherry Hill Mall, in Cherry Hill, N.J., Zumiez has added a 2,444-sq.-ft. store near the Grand Court of the mall.

The Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust (PREIT) property also added shoe retailer Traffic with a 1,500-sq.-ft. store in the J.C. Penney wing, and natural food retailer Pure Health Bar is slated to open in November.