JCPenney Co.

Indianapolis -- Simon Property Group announced that it will assume leasing, management, and marketing duties of the Fox Run Mall in Newington, N.H. Simon will commence this new role at Fox Run on May 15.

Troy, Mich. -- Oakland Mall is using social networking as a tool to get shoppers involved this Mother's Day to benefit Moms at Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries (DRMM), a non-profit agency dedicated to assisting the homeless and getting them back on their feet.

New York City -- The high price of cotton is one of the biggest challenges that J.C. Penney Co. faces this year, chairman and CEO Mike Ullman said during a panel discussion at Southern Methodist University, the Dallas Business Journal reported.

Cotton prices in March hit their highest levels in decades after floods in Australia and Pakistan and freezes in China wiped out farmers' crops. That means consumers will see rising clothing prices for the first time in more than 20 years, Ullman said, who predicted increases of 5% to 20%.

Boynton Beach, Fla. -- Indianapolis-based Simon Property Group announced that Stardust Arcade, an adult penny redemption arcade, has opened at Boynton Beach Mall, in Boynton Beach, Fla.

The 10,000-sq.-ft. space features 150 machines within a Las Vegas-style setting showcasing faux Roman columns, marble details and hand-painted Greek themed murals created by Florida Atlantic University’s Arts Professor Jim Crane and his fine art students.

New York City -- Showing that luxury is experiencing measurable bounce in the recovering economy, the higher-end department stores led the same-store sales pack in March.

Saks outperformed the rest of the category, recording an 11.1% same-store sales increase during the month. Total sales rose 9.2% to $260.2 million, compared with $238.2 million in the year-ago period.

Coral Springs, Fla. -- Sephora at J.C. Penney will open a 1,500-sq.-ft. location at Coral Square Mall, in Coral Springs, in mid-April. Francesca’s Collections is also slated to open in mid-April.

Coral Square Mall, owned by Simon Property Group, features anchor stores Macy’s/Ladies Apparel, Macy’s/Men's, Children & Home Store, J.C. Penney and Sears, as well as more than 120 specialty stores and eateries.

Bismarck, N.D. -- Chicago-based Jones Lang LaSalle announced that it has been named as the new property and leasing manager for Kirkwood Mall, an 845,000-sq.-ft. enclosed mall in Bismarck, N.D., by an affiliate of Radiant Partners that recently purchased the mall from Metropolitan Life Insurance Co.

Kirkwood Mall was built in 1970 and contains 80 shops, anchored by Herberger’s, I. Keating Furniture World, J.C. Penney, Scheels and Target.
 

NEW YORK -- Walmart, Target, The Home Depot, Best Buy and CVS took top honors in Interbrand’s annual ranking of the 50 most valuable U.S. retail brands. The U.S. brands are valued in collaboration with Interbrand Design Forum, the retail experience group within Interbrand.