Department Store

At least one retail analyst saw Target’s Black Friday in July promotion last week as an exercise in creative marketing and evidence that even bigger things could be coming this fall when the retailer ends a relationship with Amazon and brings its online efforts in-house.

Citigroup retail analyst Deb Weinswig said the Black Friday promotion “should also help to reinforce Target as a destination for deals and value ahead of the up-coming back-to-school and holiday seasons.”

Boca Raton, Fla. — Indianapolis-based Simon Property Group announced Monday that lululemon athletica will grand-open a new store at Town Center at Boca Raton on July 22.

Middletown, N.Y. — Charter Realty & Development Corp. said that three new leases and one relocation, totaling 90,372 sq. ft. has brought the Dunning Farms Shopping Center, located in Middletown, NY., to 100% occupancy.

Since being brought on to lease Dunning Farms, Charter has executed new leases with Ollies Bargain Basement for 30,775 sq. ft., with Groo Shoes for 3,880 sq. ft., and with Nilsen Insurance for 1,175 sq. ft. What-a-Store has relocated to a 28,000-sq.-ft. store. 

Monroeville, Pa. — Chattanooga, Tenn.-based CBL & Associates Properties Inc. has announced a series of anchor redevelopments at Monroeville Mall in Monroeville, Pa., including the relocation of J.C. Penney to a new 110,000-sq.-ft. store on the upper level of the former Boscov’s location.     

Additionally, the current J.C. Penney location will be redeveloped into a new state-of-the-art 12-screen Cinemark Theatre. 

Saudi Arabia — Children’s retailer Naartjie Kids said Thursday it opened its first Saudi Arabia flagship store on July 9 in the Riyadh Gallery Mall.  The company said six additional Saudi Arabia stores are slated to open this month.

Addison, Texas — Coyote Management, L.P. said that Jennifer Hillard will join Coyote Management starting July 18 as the new marketing director at the1.2-million-sq.-ft. Chapel Hills Mall, located in Colorado Springs, Colo. 

Hillard was previously field communications manager/field trafficking manager at General Growth Properties, Chicago.     

Newport Beach, Calif. — Lucescu Realty said it has opened a new regional office in Phoenix, its second office outside its California headquarters. The company recently opened a Las Vegas office and plans to open a San Francisco presence by year-end 2011.

In other company news, Lucescu Realty said it completed the sale of The Promenade in Scottsdale, for $110 million.  Lucescu Realty represented the seller, a local private investor, and procured the buyer, Excel Trust of San Diego. 

New York — U.K. fashion retailer Topshop in March will open its third U.S. location, a 20,000-sq.ft. Topshop/Topman flagship in Las Vegas’ Fashion Show Mall.  

 As previously reported,  the company’s second U.S. store is due to open this fall, in Chicago.