Apple, Inc.

Not even a hurricane named Sandy could erode the economic upsurge experienced by the northeastern United States over the last year. What this region rebuilt after the Great Recession has managed to stay strong even in the face of Sandy’s 80-mph winds, record flooding and the damage inflicted by its nor’easter sister that arrived just days after the fall 2012 hurricane.

New York -- Apple Inc. operates the most successful retail stores by a significant margin, according to RetailSails, a retail and consumer goods consulting firm. Apple stores averaged $6,050 per sq. ft. in the past 12 months, double those of Tiffany & Co., which ranked second, generating sales of $3,017 per sq. ft.

Here is RetailSails list of the 10 retailers with the highest sales per square foot:

Online and mobile fraud prevention needs to be part of every retailer’s brand’s holiday retail strategy. According to Cybersource’s 2011 survey of e-commerce fraud, $3.4 billion in online revenue was lost in 2011 as a result of fraud, and this number is only expected to increase. Although the holidays are just around the corner, there is still time to take action and reduce your exposure to fraudulent mobile channel activities.

Online shopping surged 26% on Black Friday to surpass $1 billion for the first time, according to the digital measurement firm comScore.

Leawood, Kan. -- Glimcher Realty Trust announced that it will rename One Nineteen as Town Center Crossing. Glimcher and the owners of One Nineteen and Town Center Plaza will rebrand both centers with new logos, new signage and a shared property directory.

“Our hope by rebranding the properties is to create the Town Center district, marking one of the best retail areas outside of Kansas City,” said Marshall Loeb, president and COO, Glimcher Realty Trust.

Philadelphia -- Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust (PREIT) said that Apple has opened a new store at its Willow Grove Park property in suburban Philadelphia.

The 8,300-sq.-ft. store opened on Nov. 17, bring the total number of Apple stores in PREIT’s portfolio to four.

“The addition of Apple to this already dominant mall will further drive traffic and sales and allow us to enhance the merchandise mix and quality of the shopping experience at Willow Grove Park,” said Joseph F. Coradino, CEO, PREIT.
 

Walmart will sell a bazillion electronics products this holiday season, no thanks to Consumer Reports which rates the company last as a CE destination.

Apple and Costco were ranked one and two as the best venues for CE items followed by a bizarre classification called "independents," considering the CE space is dominated by chains. The Army and Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES) and Sam’s Club ranked highly. Walmart was last among the 14 physical retailers ranked with a score of 81, compared to Apple and Costco at 92.

New York -- Holiday sales will reach a record $556.8 billion, a sluggish 2.8% increase from 2011, according to retail consultancy Customer Growth Partners’ 11th annual Holiday Forecast.