Department Store

Dakota REIT has acquired what instantly became the largest shopping center in its portfolio — the 114,102-sq.-ft. Pinehurst Square East in Bismarck, North Dakota.   The Fargo-based REIT’s retail holdings consist primarily of neighborhood centers under 60,000-sq.-ft. in the Dakotas and Minnesota. Its largest center prior to the Pinehurst acquisition was the 103,860-sq.-ft. First Center South in Fargo.  

Apparel retailers might be in for tough going if proposed tax reforms pass.  

Despite disappointing results from some retailers, overall holiday sales are shaping up to be in line with industry projections.  

The Howard Hughes Corporation announced it has purchased the 11.4-acre Macy’s store and parking lot at its Landmark Mall in Alexandria, Virginia, and will set about transforming the enclosed property into an open-air center.  

Gap Inc. turned in a positive holiday performance, reversing a string of declines, fueled by strong results from its Old Navy division and improvements by its namesake unit. The apparel giant also boosted its guidance for the year.    Gap’s net sales for the November and December holiday season edged up 1% compared to the year-ago period. Total same-store sales rose 2%.  

Millennials grab most of the attention from brand marketers, but baby boomers still have greater disposable income and far more purchasing clout. 

Apparel retailer The Limited is out of the brick-and-mortar retail business.   The ailing chain, which has quietly been closing stores around the country for the past couple of weeks, announced the news with a short statement on its website on Friday, Jan. 6. The move was not unexpected. Limited has struggled amid increased competition from fast-fashion upstarts, both offline and online.   

Poor holiday sales results from Macy’s, Sears, and Kohl’s do not bode well for the already embattled department store sector. And now J.C. Penney has reported its own disappointing results.