Apparel

Dublin, Calif. -- dd’s Discounts, a division of Ross Stores, Inc., will open a new store in the California Central Valley on Sept. 27. The store is located in the Shaw Village Shopping Center in Clovis.  

Including this new location, dd’s Discounts will operate approximately 150 locations in 13 states and is on schedule to complete its expansion plan to open approximately 20 locations in 2014.

Dublin, Calif. -- dd’s Discounts, a division of Ross Stores, Inc. will open a new store in Arizona, on Sept. 27. The store is located in the Squaw Peak Plaza in Phoenix.  

Including this new location, dd’s Discounts operates approximately 150 locations in 13 states and is on schedule to complete its expansion plan to open approximately 20 locations in 2014.

Seattle -- Nordstrom on Friday opened its first store in Canada, at Chinook Centre in Calgary, Alberta. The two-level, 140,000-sq.-ft. store is also the department store retailer’s first location outside the United States.
 
"Being in business for 113 years, this is really a historic time for us as we open our first store in Canada - our first international store," said Sheila Wooldridge, Nordstrom Chinook Centre store manager.

Virginia Beach, Va. -- Divaris Real Estate, Inc. announced the completion of four retail transactions, totaling 21,688 sq. ft.

Dollar Tree renewed its lease for 9,663 sq. ft. at Williamsburg Marketcenter, located at 6610 Mooretown Road, in Williamsburg.

Castaways Inc. leased 5,025 sq. ft. of retail space at the Divaris-leased and -managed Lynnhaven Green Shopping Center, located at 1505 Lynnhaven Parkway, in Virginia Beach.

Chicago -- Urban Retail Properties, LLC, announced the acquisition of Oakland Square and Oakland Plaza in Troy, Michigan, by its parent company RAIT Financial Trust. Purchase price was $50.8 million.

Both properties are adjacent to Oakland Mall, a 1.5-million-sq.-ft. super-regional center that Urban Retail currently manages.

St. Louis -- Brown Shoe Company has invested $9 million in Jack Erwin, an online men’s shoe brand that launched last year. It’s Brown’s first investment in a startup.

Founded by Ariel Nelson and Lane Gerson, Jack Erwin creates high-quality men’s shoes, selling them directly to consumers for under $200 a pair.

Boston -- Gordon Brothers Group, a global advisory, restructuring and investment firm specializing in the retail, consumer products, industrial and real estate sectors, appointed Kenneth S. Frieze as CEO, effective Oct. 1.

Frieze has over 20 years of leadership experience in restructuring, consulting, brand redevelopment, appraisal and asset disposition. He has held various roles at the firm since 2003, serving most recently as president.  

New York -- Lululemon Athletica signed leases to open two new stores in the Soho section of downtown Manhattan, including its first-ever freestanding store for men, The Real Deal reported.

The men’s store will be located at 127 Prince Street. The women’s store will take space at 125 Prince Street.

Lululemon is on track to open some 45 locations this year.