Jewelry

The 388,000-sq.-ft. Flagstaff Mall has been acquired by Dallas-based Cypress Equities for an undisclosed sum. The single-level center opened with two anchors in 1979 and added a third anchor when it was expanded in 1987.   Cypress plans to add three outparcel pads amounting to 18,000 sq. ft. to the former Woodmont property, and is exploring the conversion of select inline retail space to new uses. “It is our goal to establish Flagstaff Mall as the dominant retail destination in northern Arizona,” said Cypress CEO Chris Maguire.

TRENDING STORES: Two Canadian brands are dropping anchor in the United States. Health and beauty retailer Saje Natural Wellness, which operates 45 locations up north, will open two stores in the Los Angeles area by year end. Another 25 stores are on tap for 2017. Featuring natural wellness, personal and home care products and accessories, Saje stores are open, light and airy, with a high level of design. The Saje store at Toronto’s Sherway Gardens features a 30-foot Italian tile façade.

A dramatic spiral staircase highlighted by three chandeliers and a cascade of lights and crystals suspended from a 30-ft. ceiling welcomes shoppers at Shreve & Co. new flagship in San Francisco.   The two-level, 15,000-sq.-ft. store features a modern, luxurious design, with in-store boutiques, private viewing suites for personalized consultations and an entertainment room. It also houses an array of services, from a dedicated watchmaker to an estate jewelry appraiser and consultant.   

The 165-year-old Shreve & Co. has opened a flagship in its San Francisco home town.    The two-level, 15,000-sq.-ft. store is Shreve's first new, permanent location in 110 years and features a modern, luxurious design. The centerpiece is a dramatic, free-floated, elongated semi-spiral staircase that offers sweeping views of the store. A waterfall chandelier of lights and crystals is suspended inside the arch of the stairway. A cascade of crystals and lights hangs from the 30-foot ceiling.    

Luxury jewelry brand John Hardy evokes its Balinese roots at its new, multi-sensory flagship in Manhattan’s SoHo.   

Tiffany & Co.’s sterling jewel — its flagship on Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue — is feeling the impact of beefed up security and protests at Trump Tower, which is located next door to the store.     Since the election, Tiffany said its flagship, the retailer’s largest location and a tourist magnet, has seen an “adverse effect” and sales softness” compared with the year before and relative to the company’s other U.S. stores. And it sees no quick fix of the problem. 

  The Fung Global Retail & Technology team visited 35 stores throughout the Greater New York City area and Las Vegas on Black Friday for a first-hand view on traffic and sales.  Here are their top five takeaways from their store visits:  Cyber Monday Starts Early for Walmart:  Walmart kicked off its Cyber Monday deals at 12:01am EST on Friday for the first time ever, as it aims to grab customers ahead of its competitors. Last year, the company posted its Cyber Monday deals on the Sunday evening following Thanksgiving.

Street closings and protests related to the election of Donald Trump are severely impacting retail traffic on the priciest retail corridor in the world.   Tiffany & Co., Abercrombie & Fitch, Henri Bendel, Polo Ralph Lauren and other retailers on Fifth Avenue are all being affected, according to the Associated Press.  

The 400,000-sq.-ft. retail component of The Source, a new mixed-use project in Buena Park, California will be opening next month, according to developer M+D Properties.   A highlight of the center will be the nation’s first CGV Cultureplex, a concept pioneered by the South Korean movie theater chain CJ CGV. It features 4DX theaters with motion seats and ScreenX, which employs six screens and projectors to surround viewers with movie images.  

Alex and Ani has promoted Cindy DiPietrantonio to president of the company.           DiPietrantonio joined the jewelry and lifestyle brand in July 2016 as interim COO, and her transition to president has happened in “a very natural, organic way,” the company said.