Apparel

Christine Day is going from CEO of Lululemon to CEO of healthy food brand Luvo.

"Christine's unbridled passion for retailing and consumer insight adds an important component to elevate Luvo into the consumer mainstream," said Luvo founder and president Stephen Sidwell. "We look forward to Christine's guidance for the brand, helping Luvo take the lead in the national movement that delicious, nutrient-dense food can be affordable, convenient and easily accessible."

Almost seven-in-10 consumers surveyed expect to make more money, save more money and afford things they need in 2014, according to RetailMeNot’s 2014 Shoppers Trend Forecast. 

Atlanta -- Christine Day, the outgoing CEO of Lululemon, has been appointed CEO at Luvo, a start-up frozen-food company that focuses on healthy, low calorie, low sodium meals. Day’s appointment is effective April 1.

New York -- Despite severe winter weather travails during the holiday shopping season, the National Retail Federation said Tuesday that December retail sales didn’t take the hit that many feared.

In fact, taking advantage of heavy promotions and last-minute deals, shoppers were able to move the December retail sales needle up 0.4% month-to-month, excluding automobiles, gas stations and restaurants, and up 4.6% year-over-year.



New York — RKF has helped arrange the sale of a 12,250-sq.-ft. property on Manhattan’s Upper East Side at 1151 Third Avenue for $18 million.

RKF Investment Sales & Advisory Services represented the buyer, 1151 Third Avenue LLC, in the transaction. HelmleySpear represented the seller, 201 East 67th Street. The transaction closed in late October.

Tucson, Ariz. — Big-box retail space in Tucson, Ariz., has been leasing up, with the highest demand focused in core regional mall hubs. Big-box spaces in peripheral areas of the city remain vacant.

In the Park Place Mall area, for instance, big box properties are nearly fully leased, with some saying the area is ripe for redevelopment to accommodate future demand.

Snellville, Ga. — Sprouts Farmers Market has signed a lease to occupy 26,000 sq. ft. in The Shoppes at Webb Gin in Snellville, Ga., an affluent suburb of Atlanta. This will be among the first Sprouts locations east of the Mississippi. Construction has begun on the store, which is slated to open this summer.

Oakbrook Terrace, Ill. — Mid-America Real Estate Corp. has brokered the sale of two centers on behalf of Retail Properties of America.
 
First, Phillips Edison & Company purchased the 134,229-sq.-ft. Duck Creek Plaza in Bettendorf, Iowa, for $19.7 million. Schnucks and Marshalls anchor Duck Creek Plaza, and Home Depot serves as a shadow anchor. Mid-America Real Estate Corp. in cooperation with Mid-America Real Estate — Iowa LLC brokered the transaction exclusively on behalf of RPAI.

North Plainfield, N.J. — Choice Pet Supply and H&R Block have signed long-term leases at the Mayfair Shopping Center in Commack, N.Y., according to Levin Management, Mayfair Shopping Center’s leasing representative.

Julius M. Feinblum Real Estate Inc. represented Choice Pet Supply, and Reinhardt, Becker, ford & Associates LLC represented H&R Block.

New York -- VeriFone Systems said that Deckers Outdoor Corporation has implemented VeriFone mobile retailing hardware and software to fulfill its omni-channel initiative at 40 UGG Australia store locations. The solution enables store associates to accept payments from the sales floor and sell out of stock products available online through its integration with an e-commerce platform from Demandware.