Department Store

There is little doubt the public’s fear about safety has been heightened. In fact, the news these days is saturated with danger signals. Some people feel the threat of public spaces more acutely than others.

Having been trapped in a building two blocks from ground zero on 9/11, I myself have become hyperaware. I’ve devoted a lot of thought to how we can make shoppers feel more secure in the spaces we design so that they will be drawn to a store, be comfortable staying, and finally, lose themselves in the experience and want to return another day.

Seaport District

Location: Lower Manhattan, New York, N.Y.

Size: The transformed Seaport District will encompass seven buildings on several blocks totaling more than 400,000 sq. ft.

Developer: The Howard Hughes Corporation

Key tenants: iPic Theaters, 10 Corso Como, Scotch & Soda

Status: Pier 17, the property at the center of the Seaport’s development plan, is set to open next year.

A 12-year-old CEO is among the 25 individuals named to the National Retail Foundation’s 2017 List of People Shaping Retail’s Future.    Mikaila Ulmer, founder and CEO of Me & The Bees Lemonade http://gala.nrf.com/the-list-2017#MIKAILA-ULMER, is the youngest of the list’s honorees, all of whom will be recognized at the NRF Foundation Gala on January 15 during the NRF Big Show in New York City.  

Saks Fifth Avenue Off 5th will open its first location in Montreal, at CF Galeries d’Anjou. The approximately 30,000-sq.-ft. store will open this summer.   “We have now announced four locations across Quebec and we look forward to bringing the Off 5th experience to these areas, said Jonathan Greller, president, Saks Off 5th and Gilt.    CF Galeries d’Anjou is managed by Cadillac Fairview, and jointly owned by Cadillac Fairview and Ivanhoé Cambridge.  

U.S. real estate developers and brokers coping with epic changes in the retail landscape can take some solace from the fact that, when it comes to overstoring, America’s got nothing on China.   A list of cities with the most shopping center space under construction from CBRE Research had Chinese cities occupying 11 of the top 12 spots, led by Chongqing with 39.8 million sq. ft. being built. Shenzhen (38.7 million) and Chengdu (37.6 million) weren’t far behind.  

Tech solutions helping secure safety of customers, employees

Retailers have been making investments in technology for years, mainly as a means of improving the customer experience. However, as more shocking incidents, such as active shootings, take place at retail malls, new technology investments focus on solutions that ward off violence.

Packed and bursting with opportunities

Ground-up projects are hard to come by here, but shopping center innovation and new retailers are not

Density and diversity. The two D’s. That, in short, is what sums up the Northeast market for retailers. It’s the place where chains with national expansion plans or new formats to test need to be.

New retailers and new consumers (read: millennials) are discovering value retail, and that means more outlet centers in more locales in more different configurations.