Real Estate

New York -- Google. Inc. may be close to signing a lease for its first-ever freestanding retail store in the United States, according to Crain’s New York Business. The site is located in New York City’s SoHo area, at 131 Greene Street, and is just a block away from an Apple store. The search giant reportedly wants to open brick-and-mortar stores to showcase its various gadgets, ranging from the Nexus line of smartphones and tablets to the Chromebook Pixel laptop. The company is also getting ready to go public with its Google Glass eyewear and smartwatches.

After a 15% fourth-quarter same-store sales decline, Aeropostale is looking to accelerate the pace of previously announced store closures, further reduce an already limited store expansion program and has secured new financial flexibility from a private equity firm.

Seattle -- Amazon said it will open a 1-milllion-sq-.ft. distribution center in Kent, Wash., which will be its fourth in Washington state. IDS Real Estate Group and Clarion Partners are building the site as part of a joint venture. Amazon’s other Washington fulfillment centers are located in Sumner and Bellevue, and a DuPont site is near completion.

New York -- Nordstrom is going to be a big success in Canada, according to Antony Karabus, president, Hilco Retail Consulting. (Nordstrom has plans for six stores in Canada, with the possibility of adding a few more over time.) “Every one of the six stores they (Nordstrom) picked in Canada is a home run in terms of the location. It’s the perfect time, perfect sector and the perfect time in the sector,” Karabus said during a recent presentation on “The State of the Canadian Retail Market.”

One day after Walmart announced a deeper commitment to domestic sourcing, Whirlpool said it planned to spend $40 million on U.S. manufacturing plant that will result in the creation of 400 jobs by 2018. The investment will double the size of Whirlpool’s plant in Greenville, Ohio, where KitchenAid brand small appliances are made, and bring the total workforce at the facility to about 1,400 employees. The plant has been in operation since 1942, and Whirlpool said it will launch the expansion project following final approval of state and local assistance.

Bolingbrook, Ill. -- Ulta Beauty’s fiscal fourth-quarter earnings rose 9.5% on better-than-expected sales. The fast-growing beauty products retailer plans to add 100 net new stores, expanding square footage by 15% and remodel 12 locations in its current fiscal year.

“Ulta Beauty achieved excellent top line growth in the fourth quarter,” said Mary Dillon, CEO. “We delivered earnings growth consistent with our expectations and made significant progress with our key growth strategies.”

New York -- When building an urban store, be prepared for anything, and make friends with your local Economic Development Corp. early, advised retailers and a developer at the “Setting Up Shop Downtown” session at Chain Store Age’s 50th annual SPECS conference in Grapevine, Texas (March 9 -12, 2014). The session was particularly timely given that more and more retailers are targeting urban areas for growth — and the trend is likely to accelerate going forward.

Amazon plans to open a nearly 1 million-sq.-ft. fulfillment center in Kent, Wash. This will be the company’s fourth fulfillment center in the state. Amazon’s other Washington fulfillment centers are located in Sumner and Bellevue, and a DuPont site is near completion.