Department Store

Commerce, Calif. -- Discounter 99 Cents Only said Tuesday it has launched an official search for a retail property on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, Calif., to open its first store on the iconic street.

"We are confident a Rodeo Drive store will be successful because our stores do well in affluent areas,” said Eric Schiffer, CEO. “In fact, our highest sales volume store is located only a few blocks from Beverly Hills on Wilshire Boulevard.”

Of its 303 extreme-value stores in the U.S., 222 are in California.

I’m sure I wasn’t the only person in the industry to raise an eyebrow when the S&P Retail Index notched an all-time high last month. Closing at $669.26 on September 14th to reach that milestone, the index has continued to creep up even further the last couple of weeks. A closer look at the stock market performance of the retail sector shows that both REITs and many individual retailers are continuing a strong positive trend—which makes sense, of course, because REITs will perform better in a strong retail environment when retailers are doing well.

COMMERCE, Calif. — Rodeo Drive is the place where Julia Roberts got the last laugh in "Pretty Woman" and the home to some of the most sought-after fashions in the world. But perhaps there is room on the iconic street for a more inclusive retail destination.

In that vain, 99 Cents Only Stores has issued a press release announcing its search for retail property on Rodeo Drive and is encouraging anyone with information on available retail space on Rodeo Drive is to contact its real estate department.

Philadelphia -- Destination Maternity reported Tuesday that revenue for the fourth quarter dipped less than 1% to $128.5 million, but edged Wall Street’s expected $128.4 million in revenue for the period. Same-store sales climbed 2.7%.

The retailer, whose brands include A Pea in the Pod, Motherhood Maternity and namesake stores, said the revenue dip in the fourth quarter was due largely to the closure of underperforming stores and that it expects quarterly earnings to exceed guidance.

Atlanta -- The SpendTrend analysis for September, released Tuesday by First Data Corp., found that card spending in September was down from the month prior.

The report, which tracks same-store consumer spending by credit, signature debit, PIN debit, EBT, closed-loop prepaid cards and checks at U.S. merchant locations, showed that overall dollar volume growth was 5.8%, down from August’s 7.2% growth.

New York -- Hennes & Mauritz AB has cut a deal to open in Manhattan’s Times Square, the New York Post reported.

According to the report, H&M will move into the three-floor, 42,510-sq.-ft. space at 4 Times Square that was previously occupied by the restaurant ESPN Zone. The space, which has been vacant for some two years, includes two huge billboards that wrap above the store’s facade along Broadway and West 42nd Street.

New York -- Barneys New York will close its 88,000-sq.-ft. store in NorthPark Center, Dallas. It will remain open until April 2013.

"After careful consideration, Barneys New York has exercised its contractual right to terminate the lease for its Dallas location prior to its expiration," said a spokeswoman.
 

Hoffman Estates, Ill. -- Kmart and Sears are gearing up for the holiday shopping season with the elimination of layaway service fees, a new layaway home delivery service and an enhanced in-store mobile experience.