Yum! Brands

New York -- The store opening plans of retailers hit a four-year high in July, according to the August edition of the National Retailer Demand Monthly report from RBC Capital Markets and Retail Lease Trac.

Retailers in the RBC database currently plan to open 78,325 stores over the next 24 months, which represents an 11% increase over openings projected at the end of 2011, and a 0.6% increase over June’s level.

HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. — Quiksilver, the manufacturer of outdoor sports apparel, has appointed Richard Shields as CFO, effective May 11. Shields will be responsible for all areas of the company’s finance and accounting on a global basis.

Ontario, Calif. -- Westwood Financial Corp. has sold Pacific Plaza Shopping Center located at in Ontario, Calif., for $7.4 million.

“This transaction is the latest in our firm’s overall plan to rebalance our portfolio, as the funds generated here will be reinvested in grocery-anchored properties in the Southeast,” said Westwood financial executive VP Joe Dykstra.

Editor’s Note: Chain Store Age’s 23rd annual survey of Fastest-Growing Managers measures new domestic and international third-party management and leasing contracts obtained during the preceding calendar year (2011).

Now more than ever, retail real estate is not a business to be conducted without forethought. The days of gut instincts and seat-of-the-pants decisions have been replaced by the need to plan far ahead to guarantee a company’s continued growth.

Tustin, Calif. -- Present Value Properties announced Tuesday that Annette Kolb has been named director of real estate for the firm.

Kolb will be responsible for the real estate needs of national chain retailers including Pizza Hut, Long John Silver and Jack in the Box franchisees located in Phoenix, Dallas and Missouri. She will handle lease extensions/renegotiations, new locations and relocations and be based in Phoenix.

Keller, Texas -- Jacksonville, Fla.-based Regency Centers said that Bear Creek Running Co. will open a new store at Keller Town Center, located in Keller, Texas.

The new 1,200-sq.-ft. store is slated to open Jan. 2012.

Keller Town Center is a 114,937-sq.-ft. shopping center anchored by a 63,631-sq.-ft. Tom Thumb alongside national retailers such as Starbucks, Pizza Hut and RadioShack.

New York City -- Netflix, Google and Amazon top a list of the 10 “simplest” U.S. brands, according to Siegel+Gale’s second annual Global Brand Simplicity Index.

(Netflix was picked as the simplest brand in the survey after it announced price hikes but before the announcement of the formation of Qwikster, which was subsequently reversed. In the wake of these missteps, mass subscriber departures followed.)

Las Vegas -- In the latest acquisition for its Primestor-Platinum Urban Opportunity Fund I, LP, Primestor Development has acquired 4G Plaza, a neighborhood shopping center in Las Vegas, for $8.8 million.

Purchased from 4G Properties LLC, the 78,849-sq.-ft. center is anchored by El Super and shadow-anchored by The Home Depot. It is 93% leased. Other tenants include Wells Fargo, Taco Bell, Big 5 Sporting Goods and Sprint.