Department Store

Vineland, N.J. -- Ulta Beauty will open a new superstore  this fall at Cumberland Mall in Vineland, N.J. The 10,500-sq.-ft. store will feature a full-service salon as part of its offerings.

Cumberland Mall is anchored by Boscov’s, Marshalls, J.C. Penney, Burlington Coat Factory, Michaels, Old Navy and Bed Bath & Beyond.

Suffern, N.Y. -- Ascena Retail Group Inc. reported its fiscal third-quarter net income dropped nearly 37% amid costs related to its acquisition of Charming Shoppes and a charge tied to debt extinguishment. The chain also lowered its full-year earnings forecast.

Net income slipped to $31.2 million for the quarter that ended April 27, from $49.4 million in the same quarter a year ago.

Revenue rose nearly 46% to $1.14 billion, boosted by the company’s acquisitions of the Lane Bryant and Catherines chains. Same-store sales fell 4%.

Atlanta -- Jones Lang LaSalle has announced that its retail group, in an exclusive deal, will lease and manage Shenandoah Plaza in Newnan, Ga. Anchoring the 146,121-sq.-ft. property are Big Lots, Rent-A-Center and Goodwill.

The property is currently 100% occupied. John Bemis, southeast retail market lead, and Janine Christian, senior VP, will direct JLL’s team on the assignment.

Plano, Texas -- J.C. Penney Co. on Thursday took the wraps off its highly anticipated new home department. More than 500 stores received a complete home department revamp, with updated flooring, accent lighting, custom fixturing and a widened pathway.

The new department is made up of a collection of in-store shops for popular designers, including Michael Graves Design, MarthaHome, Happy Chic by Jonathan Adler, and Design by Conran. Each shop-has its own distinct look with a size range of about 300 to about 800 sq. ft.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Linens and ladies’ casual and career sportswear buoyed Stein Mart’s total sales for May. The company reported total sales of $107.3 million for the month, an increase of 3.6% from $103.6 million for May last year. 

Comparable store sales increased 8.2%.

Leominster, Mass. -- Vintage Real Estate has purchased The Mall at Whitney Field, a 700,000-sq.-ft. regional shopping center in Leominster, Mass., about 35 miles west of Boston. Anchors include Macy’s, Sears, J.C. Penney, Market Basket, Toys “R” Us and Old Navy.

Concurrent with the acquisition, Burlington Coat Factor signed a 10-year lease for a 66,000-sq.-ft. space formerly occupied by Circuit City.

New York -- Same-stores sales increased 3.2% in May, edging up from a 3% gain in April, according to a preliminary tally of 12 retailers by the International Council of Shopping Centers.  

The number of retailers reporting same-store sales has dropped dramatically over the past two years, with major department store companies and discounters no longer reporting. Many specialty fashion chains are also following suit. Some experts caution that the results are now so limited they are not representative of the industry at large.

Bryn Mawr, Pa. -- WP Realty has acquired Plaza at the Pointe, a 149,016-sq.-ft. center located near Pittsburgh in the Parkway West retail submarket.

Anchor tenants include Bed, Bath & Beyond, Old Navy, La-Z-Boy and Party City. An additional 21,556 sq. ft. anchor space is currently vacant.

Latitude 40, a recently redeveloped 60,000-sq.-ft. entertainment center, and a number of national retailers shadow-anchor Plaza at the Pointe from adjacent properties.