Development/Redevelopment

Zara, part of Spain’s Inditex Group, has opened its biggest U.S. location, a 32,000-sq.-ft., three-level flagship on a primo stretch of Manhattan real estate: Fifth Avenue at 52nd Street. The store is part of a 90,000-sq.-ft. retail condominium that also houses Hollister and Uniqlo flagships.

GOODLETTSVILLE, Tenn. — A former Safeway executive has joined Dollar General as its EVP store operations.

Effective March 19, Greg Sparks will assume all responsibilities for the operations of more than 9,900 retail stores in 38 states and serve on Dollar General's real estate and store development committee, the company said. Sparks will report to chairman and CEO Rick Dreiling.

Sparks most recently served as president of Safeway's Seattle division. His departure from the supermarket retailer was announced earlier this week.

Canton, Mass. -- Casual Male Retail Group reported Thursday that net income for the quarter ended Jan. 28 surged to $33.5 million, from $5.3 million in the year-ago period. Without a $23 million trademark impairment charge, net income was $5 million in the quarter.

The retailer of big & tall men's apparel and accessories also reported flat fourth quarter sales of $111.5 million and a slight same-store sales increase of 0.8%.

Los Angeles -- New York & Co. reported Thursday a loss of $10.9 million in the fourth quarter, compared with net income of $14.9 million a year earlier.

Sales dropped to $271.8 million, from $303.2 million in the same quarter last year, missing Wall Street’s expected $275 million in revenue. Same-store sales fell 6.3%.

Looking ahead, the retailer said it expects to open 11 outlet locations and one full-price store in the first quarter of 2012, as well as

Goodlettsville, Tenn. -- A former Safeway executive has joined Dollar General as its executive VP store operations.

Effective March 19, Greg Sparks will assume all responsibilities for the operations of more than 9,900 retail stores in 38 states and serve on Dollar General's real estate and store development committee, the company said. Sparks will report to chairman and CEO Rick Dreiling.

Sparks most recently served as president of Safeway's Seattle division. His departure from the supermarket retailer was announced earlier this week.

Ankeny, Iowa -- Casey’s General Stores said Thursday that it will break ground on its first site in Kentucky later this month. This store will be located in Cadiz, Ky., and will mark the 12th state in which the c-store chain operates.

The Cadiz store is slated to open summer 2012, and will be followed by additional stores in Paducah and Henderson later this year, said the company.

Casey’s said it also has land under contract in Tennessee with plans to break ground next fiscal year as well.

Schaumburg, Ill. -- GoldMax USA, which specializes in buying gold and precious metals from consumers, announced Tuesday that it plans to open up to 100 new stores in the United States in 2012, adding to its current 200+ store total.

The retailer debuted in Texas with the recent opening of two stores in the Dallas–Fort Worth metropolitan area, and another two will open in the next 30 to 60 days.

GoldMax opened its first Minnesota store (in Roseville) as well, and is under way with a new store at the Mall of America in Bloomington.

Chain Store Age editor-in-chief Marianne Wilson and I go to great lengths to report new store openings on Chainstoreage.com. We pore through convoluted retail financial statements – sometimes twice daily – to uncover news that a chain has its sights set on even a little net new store growth for the year ahead.

I reported earlier today that Urban Outfitters, despite a challenging fourth quarter that saw profits cut nearly in half from the year before, was planning as many as 60 new stores in fiscal 2013.