Department Store

Plano, Texas -- J.C. Penney Co. announced Tuesday that Thomas J. Engibous will become chairman of its board of directors, effective Jan. 28.

Engibous was named to the board in 1999 and has served in presiding director and lead independent director roles since 2008. He will assume the chairman's role from Myron E. (Mike) Ullman, III, J.C. Penney’s former CEO, who will step down as executive chairman.

Engibous is the retired chairman of Texas Instruments Inc.

New York City -- Shopping centers in the United States had their first net gain in occupied space in four years amid a rise in consumer confidence and job growth, according real estate research firm Reis Inc., Bloomberg reported.

Neighborhood and community shopping shoppers saw a net increase of 3.18 million sq. ft. in the fourth quarter, the most since 10.1 million sq. ft. in the last three months of 2007.

New York City -- According to Chain Store Age columnist Jeff Green’s latest editorial, one of the most noteworthy trends of this holiday season was the robust performance of independent retailers.

What could this mean for retail real estate? Click here to read more.

Following a wild ride during Black Friday, the last month of the year in 2011 saw most retailers maintaining similar levels of promotional activities when compared to 2010. The majority of advertisers either saw slight increases in circular and page counts or stayed flat. When looking at both page counts and circular drops overall there was not much change, with a 2% decrease in number of pages and a 1% drop in number of inserts per market. 

Smart move by Target to open its first wave of Canadian stores in Ontario, as the province accounts for roughly one third of the nation’s 36 million residents and is home to Target Canada headquarters and distribution facilities.

New York City -- Tiffany & Co. reported Tuesday that sales growth weakened in the United States and Europe during the holiday season, although other regions experienced significant gains.

The company cut its yearly earnings guidance. 

Atlanta -- Jones Lang LaSalle said Tuesday it has been selected by Boscov’s as the leasing agent for two retail centers in Pennsylvania – Lebanon Valley Mall (Lebanon) and The Mall Steamtown (Scranton).

Lebanon Valley Mall is a 402,400-sq.-ft. regional shopping center anchored by Boscov’s, Hobby Lobby and The Great Escape Theatres. The Mall at Steamtown is a 563,800-sq.-ft. mall anchored by Boscov’s, Boscov’s Furniture Outlet, and Bon Ton.

Seattle -- Nordstrom said Tuesday it has redesigned its Fashion Rewards loyalty program to include added benefits include complimentary services and other point incentives.

As part of an effort to build customer loyalty, the new program – which launched Jan. 1 – includes complimentary alterations up to $100 based on varying benefit levels, triple point days, and Nordstrom Rack point participation.