Transform SR Brands LLC

Chicago, Ill. — Forman Mills, an off price apparel retailer, has leased 38,487 sq. ft. at Grand Plaza in Franklin Park, Ill., according to CBRE, the leasing agent. The new store plans to open next spring.

The Forman Mills lease completes the lease up of a 96,260-sq.-ft. former Kmart, which closed in 2011.  

CBRE began leasing the space in 2012. The first lease was with Big Lots for 29,000 sq. ft. Next came a 29,000-sq.-ft.- lease to Savers Thrift Superstore, which later took another 29,000 sq. ft.

New York – Amazon.com and Macy’s reportedly look financially strong even in the wake of expected post-holiday discounting, while Sears, Kmart and J.C. Penney are not expected to be so fortunate. According to new analysis from 24/7 Wall St., Amazon.com should hold onto substantial holiday profits as long as free shipping does not impact its margins.

Only two-thirds of Americans are all or almost finished with their holiday shopping as of Dec. 23. Of the 24 retailers surveyed by America’s Research Group and Inmar, only three retained 70% or more of their customer base, with Walmart topping the list at 88.1%, followed closely by Dollar Tree at 80.4%, and Target at 72.1%.

Los Angeles – Costco and Nordstrom were the number one and two ranked retailers in terms of their return policies, according to a new report from personal finance site GoBankingrates.com. Costco received kudos for having no time limit and full cash or check refunds, while Nordstrom got credit for having no formal return policy or time limit.

Charleston, S.C. -- Only two-thirds of Americans are all or almost finished with their holiday shopping as of Dec. 23. Of the 24 retailers surveyed by America’s Research Group and Inmar, only three retained 70% or more of their customer base, with Wal-Mart topping the list at 88.1%, followed closely by Dollar Tree at 80.4%, and Target at 72.1%.

Moreno Valley, Calif. — Image, a junior fashion retailer, has re-opened at the Moreno Valley Mall in Moreno Valley, Calif., with a big brand new image. The new store has expanded to 10,000 sq. ft. and is located on the lower level between Crazy 8 and Sports Treasure, according to Spinoso Real Estate Group, the mall’s property manager.

Philadelphia — Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust has completed the financing of Wyoming Valley Mall in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., and used a portion of the proceeds to repay the mortgage loan balance on Beaver Valley Mall in Monaca, Pa., without penalty.

The new 10-year, non-recourse loan on Wyoming Valley Mall totals $78 million and replaces a $65 million loan that was repaid in September. The transaction produced proceeds of $13 million. The interest rate on the new mortgage is 5.17%, a decrease of 68 basis points from the previous rate.

Giant Eagle, Rite Aid, ExxonMobil and Kum & Go are among the growing number of merchants to become members of the Merchant Customer Exchange’s group, which is made up of leading merchants dedicated to improving the shopping experience by offering consumers a widely accepted, customer-focused and secure mobile commerce platform.

With these new member additions, more than 50 merchants are now part of MCX, representing more than 100,000 locations and more than $1 trillion in payments annually.