Department Store

Chicago -- The value and luxury classes of retail will supply the most construction opportunities in 2013, according to a forecast by Englewood Construction. The Lemont, Ill.-based commercial builder also predicted an uptick in restaurant development and a squeeze on middle-market retail.

Third quarter same store sales at Bed Bath & Beyond were negatively affectivd by Hurricane Sandy, but the nation’s leading home good retailer still managed to grow profits.

Washington, D.C. -- Executives at Amazon, Kohl’s, Crocs and Lululemon have been named recipients of the National Retail Federation’s annual awards. Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos received the Gold Medal Award, recognized for serving the industry with distinction and achieving a national reputation for excellence.

Merriam, Kansas -- Shopping center owner and developer DDR Corp., based in Beachwood, Ohio, said Tuesday it will sell 22 acres of land to Ikea Property for the construction of Ikea’s first store in Kansas, located in the Kansas City bedroom community of Merriam, Kan.
 
Ikea confirmed Tuesday that the City Council of Merriam has unanimously approved plans for this project, following last month's approval from the city's Planning Commission.
 

Suffern, N.Y. -- Ascena Retail Group, which operates the Maurices and dressbarn banners, said Tuesday it will launch a 760,000-sq.-ft. distribution center expansion in central Ohio.

Upon completion, the new facility will distribute apparel and accessories for its lineup of brands, which also includes Justice & Brothers, Lane Bryant and Catherines.

Menomonee Falls, Wis. -- Kohl’s Department Stores on Tuesday announced activation of the company’s largest solar project at its 1 million-sq.-ft. e-commerce fulfillment center in Edgewood, Md.

The center opened in 2011 and recently earned LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification from the U.S. Green Building Council at the gold level. The location is Kohl’s sixth solar site in Maryland. It is also the company’s first LEED-certified logistics facility.

Chicago -- E-commerce and digital marketing company Acquity Group announced Monday social media findings that revealed the vast majority of retailers don’t respond to customer tweets.
 
The 2012 Brand eCommerce Audit evaluated Interbrand's 2012 Best Retail Brands on customer engagement across major digital channels, including big browser, social and mobile.
 

Minneapolis -- Target announced plans to open a 140,000-sq.-ft. store in Pomona, Calif., in October 2013.

To date, Target has announced plans to open 16 Target stores in 2013.