Department Store

Chicago -- Urban Retail Properties LLC said it has been awarded the contract by Five Mile Capital Partners LLC to provide management and leasing services for Shawnee Mall located in Shawnee, Okla., and Brazos Mall in Lake Jackson, Texas, effective immediately.

Shawnee Mall is a one-level enclosed regional shopping center anchored by Dillard’s, Sears and J.C. Penney. The tenant line-up includes a newly remodeled Jones Theatres Movies Six, Old Navy, Ross Dress For Less, Buffalo Wild Wings and over 70 specialty stores.

Tampa, Fla. -- Woolbright Development said that Stuart Segall has been named a leasing agent for the company, and is responsible for leasing shopping centers in Tampa, Brandon and Tallahassee.

Segall was previously with Florida Retail Partners in Tampa.

Kearney, Neb. -- The Buckle reported Thursday that net income for the quarter ended Jan. 29 rose to $49.5 million, compared with $42.1 million in the year-ago period.

Sales rose 10.4% to $303.1 million, from $274.4 million.

Same-store sales increased 6.3%.

For the full year, The Buckle reported that net income rose to $134.7 million from $127.3 million in 2009. Yearly sales increased 5.7% to $949.8 million, from $898.3 million. Same-store sales edged up 1.2%.

Jacksonville, Fla. -- Stein Mart reported Thursday that fourth quarter profit surged to $18.8 million from $2.7 million in the year-ago period. Results included an income tax benefit in fourth quarter 2010.

Revenue for the quarter ended Jan. 29 decreased 1.5% to $336.7 million, compared with $341.8 a year earlier. Same-store sales dipped 1.2%.

Washington, D.C. -- A Wednesday report by Bloomberg said that Wal-Mart Watch, a union-funded group that advocates for Wal-Mart Stores workers, said Justice Antonin Scalia should disqualify himself when the U.S. Supreme Court considers the company’s bid to derail a gender-bias suit on behalf of potentially one million employees.

In the Feb. 24 edition of SiteTalk, we asked you about Borders'just-announced Chapter 11 bankruptcy and closures, and to what retailers you thought some of that prime real estate would go. Here is what two of our readers had to say:

"[I think they will go to] regional furniture chains [Value City] and regional electronics such as Hhgregg."
-- Joe Deckop
Columbus Consulting
Columbus, Ohio

MENOMONEE FALLS, Wis. -- Kohl’s Department Stores announced the grand opening of nine new stores across seven states, which the company said will create more than 1,200 jobs.

The new stores were opened Illinois, New York, South Dakota, Texas, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin. In addition, Kohl's plans to open a total of approximately 40 new stores in 2011. The company said it also plans to remodel approximately 100 stores in 2011, an 18% increase from 2010.

BOCA RATON, Fla. -- The South Florida Business Journal  reported Tuesday that Office Depot has dismissed David Grove, SVP contract sales for the company. 

According to the report, Grove's termination was unrelated to company operations, citing an Office Depot statement. Grove joined the company just 14 months ago.

Before joining Office Depot, Grove served in various roles in the office products field including president business interiors at Corporate Express and director of business development at United Stationers.

Toronto — The Hudson's Bay Co. announced it has earned exclusive Canadian franchise rights for the United Kingdom’s Topshop and its male counterpart, Topman. The agreement includes the rights for both freestanding locations and in-store shops, expected to launch in The Bay in fall 2011.

New York — Walmart will next week start building its first smaller-format Express stores, according to building permits obtained by Bloomberg News.

The chain will begin construction March 16 on a 14,400-sq.-ft. store in Gentry, Ark., which is about 20 miles from the company’s Bentonville headquarters, according to the permits.