Apparel

Foot Locker to buy German athletic footwear chain Runners Point
New York -- Foot Locker Inc. said Wednesday that it will buy German athletic store chain Runners Point Warenhandelsges (RPG) for 72 million euros ($94 million) as it expands in Europe.

RPG, which had sales of $254 million for 2012, operates more than 200 stores — with its most prominent banners being Runners Point and Sidestep — as well as an online subsidiary, Tredex. Most its stores are in Germany, although there are also Runners Point and Sidestep locations in The Netherlands, Austria, and Switzerland.
Stein Mart same-store revenue surges in April
Jacksonville, Fla. -- Revenue at stores open at least one year climbed 8% last month for discount retailer Stein Mart. According to Stein Mart, strong sales of linens and ladies’ casual and career sportswear helped drive revenue growth and offset weaker sales in dresses, ladies’ accessories and men’s sportswear.

For the quarter to date, revenue at stores open at least a year increased 1.2% and total revenue climbed 3.8% to $321.4 million.

Spotlight On: HVAC

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Foot Locker to acquire Runners Point Group

NEW YORK — Foot Locker has started the ball rolling toward acquiring Runners Point Warenhandelsges, a specialty athletic store and online retailer based in Recklinghausen, Germany, for a total cash consideration of approximately $94 million.
ShopperTrak: April 2013

Total U.S. Shopper Traffic in Retail Stores and Malls for April 2013

An expected post-Easter decline in shopper activity was compounded by unseasonably cold weather last month. Retail foot traffic decreased 10.1 percent in April compared to March 2013, deviating from previous positive month-over-month retail traffic trends. Foot traffic for April 2013 decreased 0.4 percent compared to the same month in 2012.
Michaels marches to pomp and circumstance

IRVING, Texas — Michaels is not the first place you think of when it comes to getting a pair of shoes for graduation day, but the arts and crafts retailer is courting graduates seeking to jazz up their footwear for their big day.
Bare Necessities entices tech-savvy shoppers

EDISON, N.J. — Bare Necessities, an online specialty retailer of women's and men's branded and designer intimate apparel and lingerie, has launched an interactive look book showcasing Wacoal’s intimates to entice tech-savvy shoppers with smartphones and tablets.
Younkers store in Wisconsin Rapids, Wis., to close

York, Pa. -- The Bon-Ton Stores announced it will close its Younkers store in the Rapids Mall in Wisconsin Rapids, Wis.

The company will not renew the lease, which terminates July 31, 2013. The closing will impact approximately 45 associates at this location.

The Bon-Ton acquired the leasehold interests in the Wisconsin Rapids store as part of the Northern Department Store Group acquisition in 2006. The department store retailer said it does not expect costs associated with the closing of the location to be material.
It's Your Destiny

Destiny USA leads in size and environmental consciousness
Billed as the largest LEED Gold-certified retail commercial building in the world, Destiny USA is more than an environmental leader. It is a shopping and entertainment mecca.
The 2.4 million-sq.-ft. tourist destination in Syracuse, N.Y., is an unexpected blend of luxury outlet tenants with restaurants and big entertainment names in a high-impact setting that includes a sweeping, three-story atrium, a replica of an upside-down city destroyed, and a suspended-rope adventure for the kids.
Real Estate's 10 Under 40

Ten years ago, demographic experts predicted a looming talent shortage: When the massive baby boom generation retired, the small Generation X would not have enough experienced leaders and managers to fill the positions that boomers would vacate.
Finding a New Normal

Bucksbaum Retail Properties opened for business in April 2012. The Chicago-based company has already opened one project and is working on four more.

The 53,000-sq.-ft. Kingsbury Center near North Chicago has opened with four tenants: Buy Buy Baby, PetSmart, Road Runner Sports and Jimmy Johns. It is a joint venture with Chicago-based Structured Development.
Glimcher Gets Some Fresh Air

The Glimcher Realty Trust pipeline is filled with open-air centers. "We're seeing a lot of opportunity in the market and even our own portfolio with open-air right now," said Michael P. Glimcher, chairman and CEO, Columbus, Ohio-based Glimcher.

Over the last three years, Glimcher has acquired five properties. Four were open-air. Today, open-air centers account for about 20% of the company's 29 properties.

Recently, Glimcher shared his insights about open-air and enclosed centers with Chain Store Age contributing writer Michael Fickes.