Apparel

Trending Stores: The Frye Company’s location in Denver took top honors as Store of the Year in the 2017 Shop! store design competition. With a design that celebrates the artisan heritage of Frye, one of the country’s oldest footwear companies, the 2,460-sq.-ft. store has a warm and comfortable vibe, with a modern ski-lodge aesthetic. Local references include a massive working fireplace dressed with stone from local quarries, and rugs woven with American Indian motifs.

CEO Joe Coradino and PREIT are serious about recapturing vacant department store space and refilling it with new customer experiences.   Just weeks after the opening of a Legoland Discovery Center at its Plymouth Meeting Mall in the Philadelphia suburbs, PREIT announced it had executed a lease at that property with 5 Wits, a live-action entertainment concept that immerses people into one of three adventures: Tomb, Deep Space, or Drago’s Castle.  

Shopping center owners added fewer centers in 2016, but demonstrated that less is more

As physical shopping centers battle furiously for customer share, more developers are realizing that bells and whistles aren’t just optional; they’re essential. No matter the size or scope, new shopping centers have to offer something extra to an increasingly discerning consumer — and the group of owners highlighted here is doing just that.

People and corporations are streaming back into America’s downtowns. Are they chain retailers’ best hope for growth?

“City of stars, are you shining just for me?” sings Ryan Gosling in this year’s hit movie musical “La La Land.” “City of stars, there’s so much that I can’t see.”

At a time when store closings and consolidations are dominating the headlines, understanding the underlying industry dynamics also requires paying close attention to new store openings. Brands that are expanding their footprints are providing a revealing look at how consumer shopping patterns, priorities and preferences are evolving. In turn, this shows what might be in store for the retail industry ahead.

Prestige Development Group is about to break ground on a 171,027-sq.-ft. shopping center in Abilene, Texas.   Nearly 85% of The Shops at Abilene Village are pre-leased by a tenant lineup that includes Burlington, Petco, and Academy Sports + Outdoors. It will be the first store in the Abilene market for Burlington, and Academy is relocating from a 50,000-sq.-ft. location to claim 72,000 sq. ft.in of space at The Shops.  

Timberland has made yet another executive appointment to support its growth strategies.   The company named footwear industry veteran Tracy Smith as VP and general manager of Timberland North America. In this role, he will lead the strategic vision and operations of Timberland’s wholesale and direct to consumer businesses in North America, with responsibility for strategy, merchandising, sales, marketing and operations.  

There’s been a shakeup at Bon-Ton Stores.   The department store retailer announced that Kathryn Bufano, president and CEO, will leave the company when her contract expires on August 25. She will be succeeded by William Tracy, currently the retailer’s COO. He will be Bon-Ton’s fourth chief executive since 2012.