Gap, Inc.

Moorestown, N.J. -- Philadelphia-based Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust said that Cinnabon has opened a 210-sq.-ft. kiosk at Moorestown Mall, located in Moorestown, N.J.

Cinnabon opened at Moorestown Mall on the heels of Books for Less, while Play N Trade and Nailery are set to open at the mall this summer.

SECAUCUS, N.J. — Eric Bauer, COO of The Children's Place Retail Stores, has left the company effective June 19, the company announced Wednesday. Jane Elfers, president and CEO, will resume oversight of the company's supply chain, store operations, finance, information technology and real estate functions.

Commenting on Bauer's departure, Elfers said, "We thank Eric for his contributions and wish him well in his future endeavors."

New York -- The Fisher family, the founders of Gap Inc. have acquired a stake in high-end riding-gear and apparel company Ariat International Inc.

The Fisher family, along with Ariat management, purchased the firm from LNK Partners and Brentwood Associates. Terms of the sale were not disclosed.
 

A new application at a Gap store in Manhattan takes the hassle—along with the unsightly cords and wiring—out of digital signage.

The retailer has deployed tabletop digital signage displays that run on rechargeable batteries, eliminating the need for any external power. The freestanding portable displays, from BrightSign, measure 10.5” x 19.9” x 9.9,” and feature a built-in 12.1” high-resolution screen and media player. They are self-contained and enclosed in a sleek steel display tower.

New York -- With only a few exceptions, retailers are posting solid gains in May, with such chains as Target, TJX, Ross and TJX Cos. beating Wall Street forecasts for the month. The Thomson Reuters Same-Store Index, which tracks the stores that release monthly sales reports, is expected to rise 3.6% in May.

"Analysts are taking a careful approach to May same-store sales given the cautious tone issued by most retailers on second-quarter earnings guidance," said Ken Perkins of Retail Metrics, in a research report.

New York -- J. Crew CEO Milliard “Mickey” Drexler is the subject of a CNBC documentary that will premier Thursday, May 24 at 10 p.m., ET, with a re-air at 1 a.m., ET.

I’m just back from the retail real estate industry’s annual confab, the International Council of Shopping Centers’ RECon, in Las Vegas. As part of the event, Faith Hope Consolo, chairman, Prudential Douglas Elliman, hosted a panel discussion of retailers at the Women’s Special Industry Group meeting. Here are some of the more notable quotes from the discussion:

Brenda Godfrey, VP global store development, Starbucks Coffee Co.

San Francisco -- Gap Inc. said Thursday that profit for the quarter ended April 28 was flat compared with the year-ago period, but its results beat Wall Street forecasts and prompted the retailer to raise its outlook for the year.

Gap reported a profit of $233 million for the first quarter. Revenue rose 6% to $3.49 billion, beating analysts’ estimated $3.46 billion in revenue, and same-store sales rose 4%.