Retail

Atlanta — Simon Property Group has announced a series of improvements for Phipps Plaza in Atlanta’s fashionable Buckhead district.

The first improvement will make over the interior with a fresh new look. Plans include upgraded LED lighting, repainting, new warm wood accents, an updated railing system, luxury soft seating and lounging areas with Wi-Fi connectivity and chargers, upgraded restrooms and the installation of a hotel-like concierge service center.

New York – Online wedding registry Zola is launching an iPhone app, which will allow couples to create and manage their Zola registry from anywhere. With the Zola app, couples will be able to create and edit their registries while on the go, scan any product onto their registry using the barcode scanner, and use app-exclusive features like Blender, which allows them to browse the entire Zola selection, one at a time, swiping right to add to their registry or left to pass.

Oak Brook, Ill. — Inland Real Estate Income Trust has acquired two shopping centers in Texas, and Florida, in separate transactions: Mansfield Pointe Shopping Center in Mansfield, Texas, and North Hills Square Shopping Center in Coral Springs, Fla.

IREIT acquired the 148,529-sq.-ft. Mansfield Pointe for $28.4 million and the 63,829-sq.-ft. North Hills Square Shopping Center for $11.05 million.

Irving, Texas -- Three months after the country’s largest arts and crafts chain revealed that its namesake and subsidiary stores had been hacked in what promised to be a major payment card security breach, Michaels Stores revealed late Thursday that 2.6 million cards were likely affected in the attack.

Seattle -- Nordstrom announced plans to relocate its full-line Westfield University Towne Center (UTC) department store in San Diego to a new space within the evolving mall.

The new two-level, 145,000-sq.-ft. Nordstrom store will open in 2017 as part of Westfield UTC’s resort-inspired redevelopment, which is adding specialty shops, restaurants, entertainment, sustainable design features and family-friendly amenities, as well as structured parking.

Luxury brand Burberry has opened a new, tech-savvy flagship in Shanghai, its largest in China to date. Inspired by Burberry’s Regent Street flagship in London, the three-level store seamlessly blends digital and physical displays, immersing customers in the Burberry brand.  

Deerfield, Ill. -- The rapid adoption of Walgreens’ Balance Rewards loyalty program, with nearly 80 million members, has earned the chain a ranking among top business technology innovators in the U.S.

Walgreens is ranked No. 60 on the 2014 InformationWeek Elite 100.

Seattle -- REI has committed to having all of its electricity from renewable sources. The retailer already has 26 solar electric systems generating clean power and a program designed to invest in energy efficiency. Now, REI is buying certified renewable energy certificates (RECs) as part of its strategy to green the energy that powers more than 130 stores, two distribution centers and its headquarters.