Retail

Washington, D.C. - Douglas Development announced that Mike Isabella, former executive chef at Mediterranean restaurant  Zaytinya, and Bravo’s Top Chef  contestant, has leased 5,000 sq. ft. in a three-level Douglas Development-owned property at 707 6th Street, NW, in Washington, D.C.

Isabella will open a two-level Italian-inspired restaurant, Graffiato, in spring 2011.

New York - Nordstrom is putting its foot in the bridal business, opening an in-store bridal boutique called the Wedding Suite at its Chicago flagship on North Michigan Avenue, according to the Chicago Tribune. The department store retailer is positioning itself as a one-stop shop for wedding parties, and will unveiling 14 bridal salons at stores nationwide over the next six weeks, the report said.

New York - Visits to the top 500 retail sites increased 13% on Black Friday, according to data from Experian Hitwise. For the sixth year in a row, Amazon was the top retail site receiving traffic on Black Friday. Walmart was the second most visited retail site, followed by Target. But Target’s visits increased 13% on versus 2009, representing the biggest increase among the top five sites. The top 20 retail sites accounted for 61% of all visits among the top 500 retail sites.

Woburn, Mass. - Demandware on Monday announced that sunglass specialty retailer Solstice is taking its first step into the ecommerce arena by announcing the launch of its new online retail store www.solsticesunglasses.com built on the Demandware Commerce platform.

The new site mirrors the company’s upscale store design, combining clean sophisticated lines with the brands’ seasonal advertising campaigns. It offers more than 40 luxury, designer and sport sunglass brands,  with easy-to-navigate search options designed to make shopping easier.

Gainesville, Ga. - Addison, Texas-based Coyote Management, L.P. announced that Debora M. Overholt has been named general manager for Lakeshore Mall, in Gainesville, Ga.

Lakeshore Mall, opened in 1969, and is a single-level, 517,153-sq.-ft. enclosed regional mall anchored by J.C. Penney, Sears and Belk.