Real Estate

New York -- Gilt, the popular online retailer of  discounted high-end designer apparel and accessories, will open its first-ever brick-and-mortar location, a pop-up store in Shelbyville Road Plaza, Louisville, Ky.    
 
“GLI welcomes the first Gilt.com Designer Outlet to the Louisville business community,” said Greater Louisville Inc. CEO and president Craig J. Richard in a press release issued by the online retailer. “The exciting new concept store is a unique addition to our local retail market.”

An astonishing 41% first quarter same store sales increase at Restoration Hardware propelled the company to significantly improved profitability and made the specialty retailer an increasingly desirable tenant.

Kansas City, Kan. -- Stacy Scheelk has signed on as senior director of new business development with RED Legacy. An accredited Certified Marketing Director, Scheelk’s responsibilities include developing partnerships, securing sponsorships, creating specialty retail and increasing ancillary income.

She comes to RED Legacy from CBL & Associates Properties where she most recently served as regional director of brand development.

Fairfield, Calif. -- A Fuddruckers franchisee has acquired a 14,500-sq.-ft. property on the ring road of Solano Mall in Fairfield, Calif., according to Transwestern, the brokerage that represented the franchisee.

A Chick-fil-A restaurant attached to the property will continue to operate without change.

Calabasas, Calif. -- Broader regional economic growth and improved consumer and retailer finances bode well for retail real estate investments in well-located properties, according to “The Retail Outlook” from Marcus & Millichap Research Services’ second quarter 2013 mid-year outlook for the national retail market and U.S. economy.

City of Industry, Calif. -- Private equity outfit Sycamore Partners said Thursday it has completed its previously announced acquisition of Hot Topic, valued at about $600 million and returning the Hot Topic namesake stores and the Torrid banner to the private sector.

"Hot Topic and Torrid are both leaders in their categories, and we are excited to have both brands as part of our portfolio," said Stefan Kaluzny, managing director of Sycamore Partners.  

New York -- Winick Realty Group has signed Adam Kruvant and Gary Krauss as brokers in its Cranford, N.J., branch.

Krauss comes to Winick with a background in retail supermarket operations and food and drugstore marketing. Kruvant came up through Winick’s Agent Training Program. He previously worked for Vanguard Realty.

Redmond, Wash. -- Microsoft Corp. on Thursday announced that it plans to open 500 “Windows Store” shops in 500 Best Buy stores across the country and in more than 100 Best Buy and Future Shop locations in Canada. The roll out will launch in late June, lasting through September.

The in-store shops will sell exclusively Windows-based tablets and computers and other Microsoft products, with support from dedicated staff, in an interactive environment.