Recreational Equipment, Inc. (REI)

Yonkers, N.Y. -- Forest City Ratner Cos., the developer of Westchester’s Ridge Hill, in Yonkers, N.Y., announced that four new retailers have completed leases and will be opening their stores during the spring/summer 2012. They are LA Fitness; T.J. Maxx; Pandora and Francesca’s Collection.

Additionally, Guitar Center, which had previously executed a lease, will be opening its new store at Ridge Hill during the December holiday season. These new stores will occupy 108,939 sq. ft. at Westchester’s Ridge Hill.

From charming boutiques to sleek global flagships, the New York retail scene was rocked by an influx of newcomers this past year. So many, in fact, that it was hard narrowing down the choices for my annual Ten Best list. After much deliberation, here are my picks:

New York City -- REI (Recreational Equipment, Inc.) has opened its first-ever store in Manhattan, in the landmarked Puck Building in SoHo. The 35,000-sq.-ft. space has been carefully restored to honor the brand’s nearly 75-year heritage and the building’s more than century-old history.

Every year, in December, Chain Store Age examines the northeastern region — New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maine, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Vermont and Rhode Island — and, in 2011, there appears to be some positive momentum.

Retail real estate executives will tell you that we’re not completely out of the woods yet, but the industry is certainly inching in the right direction.

If retailers want to survive in the new economy and volatile marketplace, their focus needs to be on the customer and providing the best service and shopping experience possible. Increasingly, mobile strategies are helping them achieve this goal.

Medford, Ore. -- Jacksonville, Fla.-based Regency Centers announced the construction of Northgate Marketplace, an 80,900-sq.-ft. neighborhood center anchored by new-to-the-market anchors REI and Trader Joe’s. 

The grocery-anchored center is located in the regional retail hub of Medford, Ore. In partnership with Northgate, Regency Centers is developing the first phase of its first shopping center in Medford which will create more than 250 permanent jobs.

New York City -- Brixmor Property Group said Friday that four national tenants – Books-A-Million, Big Lots, Dick’s Sporting Goods and REI – will occupy former Borders locations in California, Colorado, Connecticut, Michigan and North Carolina.

SEATTLE  — Recreational Equipment Inc. announced that it plans to give $4.2 million this year to nonprofits across the country that work to preserve and maintain natural spaces through active volunteer programs.