Department Store

Whether you are a retail analyst or a casual observer, it can be all too easy to get lost in the negativity of recent store closings and retail bankruptcies.

Shrewsbury, Mass. -- Charter Realty and Development said that it has leased a 19,300-sq.-ft. space at White City Shopping Center, in Shrewsbury, Mass., to Planet Fitness.

Planet Fitness joins Shaw’s, Dress Barn and Austin Liquors, among others, at the 255,000-sq.-ft. center.

Beachwood, Ohio -- DDR Corp. announced Monday that, during the first quarter, it acquired two prime assets in Dallas and in Oakland, Calif., for $81 million.

Also during the quarter, DDR disposed of $46 million of non-prime assets, including $8 million of non-income producing assets.

Target was among six companies recognized by Second Harvest Heartland, a member of Feeding America, as one of the relief organization’s Hunger Heroes.

San Francisco -- Jamestown said Wednesday it has acquired a real estate portfolio in downtown San Luis Obispo, Calif., comprised of 86% retail and 14% office space in open-air, multi-story settings.

The retail component, purchased from Copeland Properties, consists of seven assets, the most notable being Court Street Centre and Downtown Centre, and totals approximately 195,000 sq. ft. The portfolio also includes 28,000 sq. ft. of office space in three separate properties.

Boulder, Colo. -- In survey results released Wednesday by Market Force Information, DSW was named America’s No. 1 shoe retailer by more than 4,000 consumers polled.

Nordstrom, Nike, Shoe Carnival and Famous Footwear rounded out the top five.

New York -- In its annual report filed Tuesday, Abercrombie & Fitch revealed that it plans to open Abercrombie & Fitch flagship stores in Seoul and Shanghai in 2013, as well as 20 international Hollister stores. The news sent the teen retailer’s shares rising on Wednesday.

The company also said in the report that it is maintaining its focus on boosting profitability by simplifying processes, eliminating less-profitable parts of its business, shoring up efficiencies and cutting expenses.

New York -- A Securities and Exchange Commission filing on Tuesday revealed that embattled J.C. Penney CEO Ron Johnson saw his compensation package plummet 97% to about $1.9 million in 2012.

Johnson received a base salary of $1.5 million, up from his partial-year salary of $375,000 in 2011, but did not receive stock or option awards in 2012. That compares with a stock award worth $52.7 million on the date it was granted in 2011, when Johnson was named CEO.