Apparel

Phillips Edison Grocery Center REIT I Inc. is acquiring a grocery-anchored shopping center, expanding the company’s holdings in Massachusetts.

Northwoods Crossing is a 159,562-sq.-ft. grocery store-anchored shopping center in Taunton, Massachusetts, a suburb 40 miles south of Boston. The center is anchored by BJ’s Wholesale Club. It also features national and regional tenants such as Tractor Supply Company, Dollar Tree, Subway, Ruby Tuesday and Wendy’s.

Mary Meixelsperger, senior VP and CFO DSW Inc., is shifting professional gears

Meixelsperger has resigned from the company effective June 10, to pursue another unspecified opportunity. Coincidentally or otherwise, DSW recently missed expectations for both profits and sales in a difficult first quarter of fiscal 2016. Net income fell 37% and same-store sales also declined, although revenues grew below Wall Street forecasts.

Retailers looking for global opportunities in emerging markets should head to Asia, particularly China, according to a just-released survey.   

China ranks as the top country in A.T. Kearney’s 2016 Global Retail Development Index (GRDI), followed by India, whose high market potential, fast growth, improved regulatory environment, and ease of doing business pulled it up to second in the rankings. (See end of article for top 30 rankings.)

Photo by Ola Wilk/Wilk Marketing Communications

Liebeskind Berlin, a trendy leather accessories and fashion brand from Germany, has opened a second location in the United States.  

Signet Jewelers Ltd., whose store banners include Kay Jewelers and Zales, issued a strong rebuttal against charges that its stores swapped customers’ gems for lesser-quality stones while they were in for service.   The controversy started with an article by BuzzFeed about a Maryland woman who said her engagement ring — purchased at a Kay Jewelers store — had its diamond swapped out for a lower-quality manmade stone while in for service. The story quickly went viral on social media.   

The Marketplace Mall located in the Henrietta area of Rochester, New York, will convert to an outlet center.     The mall will undergo capital improvements, remerchandising of the retail mix, and will be rebranded as Marketplace Outlets. This is a first-of-its-kind full conversion of an enclosed regional mall to an outlet center.   

Image credit: Ted Eytan, CC by 2.0   While many retailers are focused on making stores a destination to experience, some aim for an even higher level of customer engagement by casting themselves in the role of community center.     Others have even become a global destination for enthusiasts. These retailers understand that one way to energize a fervent fan base is to offer a singular fan base. Here are a few examples:   

The current school year is just ending, but consumers are already looking ahead to the fall.

According to a new survey of 300 U.S. adults who plan on leading their families’ back-to-school shopping efforts from social engagement firm CrowdTap, blogs and social media conversations rival traditional advertising formats (e.g. magazine circulars and TV ads) when it comes to what drives back-to-school purchases.