Convenience Stores

Batavia, Ill. – Discount grocer Aldi is launching a five-year strategic plan to open 650 new stores across the United States. The chain launched its expansion efforts with the decision to build its regional headquarters and distribution center in Moreno Valley, Calif.

Tucson, Ariz. — Sidecar, a craft beer and cocktail bar, plans to open a 963-sq.-ft. upscale lounge at Broadway Village in Tucson. Slated to open in March of 2014, the bar will seat 40 people inside and 12 to 15 people on a patio.

Commercial Retail Advisors represented the landlord, CRI Broadway Village Partners in the transaction. Sidecar handled the lease negotiations itself.

Tucson, Ariz. — Yotagious Frozen Yogurt of Thatcher has leased a 1,500-sq.-ft. space at the Gila Valley Shopping Center in Thatcher, Ariz., and plans to open in the early spring of 2014.

The Tucson office of CBRE represented Gila Valley’s owners in the transaction.

Bedminster, N.J. — Liberty Travel has leased a 1,853-sq.-ft. space at The Hills Village Center in Bedminster, N.J., according to Levin Management, the exclusive leasing and managing agent for the property.

Relocation Realty represented Liberty Travel in the transaction. Liberty’s neighbors in the 109,800-sq.-ft. center include Kings Supermarket, CVS, Starbucks, Great Clips, Cold Stone Creamery, The UPS Store, GNC and Subway.

Tucson, Ariz. — Dickey’s BBQ Pit has signed a 2,700-sq.-ft. lease at the Plaza Escondida Shopping Center in Tucson, Ariz. Keller Williams Southern Arizona represented the tenant in the transaction. CBRE (www.cbre.com) represented the landlord, Roseville Tucson LLC.

New York -- While retail and consumer organizations have made significant security improvements, they have not kept pace in today’s business environment and are relying on yesterday’s security practices to combat current business threats and risks, according to PwC US’s recently released 2014 Global State of Information Security Survey.

Cheshunt, England – British supermarket and general merchandise retailer Tesco plc has reportedly applied to the Indian government for permission to buy a 50% stake in the Indian hypermarket chain Trent Hypermarket Ltd. According to Reuters, Tesco wants to open stores in western India and would become the first foreign retailer to open a supermarket in India.

Store growth is the ultimate goal of most chain retailers. The more locations you have, the more revenues you (generally) bring in. But sometimes adding new stores creates its own new challenges.

When San Francisco-based Philz Coffee determined about four or five years ago that it wanted to start adding to its base of five coffee shops in the Bay Area, first with more stores in California and eventually hundreds of locations throughout the U.S,, the retailer knew its existing enterprise systems would not support that type of aggressive growth strategy.

St. Petersburg, Fla. — The Sembler Company is redeveloping the Publix Shopping Center at 3700 4th Street North in St. Petersburg, Fla., on behalf of Publix Super Markets.

Publix will close the store on Dec. 28 to begin the redevelopment of the 50,600-sq.-ft. grocery store and associated liquor store. Improvements will include the construction of new buildings, new landscaping and parking areas. Publix expects to re-open in its new buildings in late 2014.

Oak Park, Ill. — Edwards Realty Company has acquired the North & Harlem Plaza in Oak Park, Ill., for $4.7 million, according to Mid-America Real Estate, which represented the seller, Hudson Advisors LLC, in the transaction.

The 23,320-sq.-ft. center features Dunkin’ Donuts, The UPS Store, Check‘n Go, American Mattress and Batteries Plus.