Department Store

Canada represents a dynamic market for U.S. retailers looking for store expansion opportunities.

Apple will open its highly anticipated new campus in April. Dubbed Apple Park, the site is located on a 175-acre site in Cupertino, Calif.

The heart of the campus is a futuristic, ring-shaped, 2.8 million-sq.-ft. headquarters building that’s clad entirely in panels of curved glass. Designed in collaboration with Foster + Partners, Apple Park is powered by 100% renewable energy. With 17 megawatts of rooftop solar, the campus will run one of the largest on-site solar energy installations in the world.

Chicago – Customers at malls are actively posting via social media, but leaving out information that could help mall-based retailers. According to a new study from location-based social media monitoring firm Geofeedia, 91% of mall-based social posts lack relevant hashtags and/or keywords, and 8% of posts only contain photos or videos.

Ann Arbor, Mich. - Despite economic indicators that show the recession is over, customers are slightly less satisfied in 2015 than they were the prior year. According to CFI Group's Retail Satisfaction Barometer 2015, the RSB score for 2015 is 79 on a 0-100 scale (with 100 being the highest possible score), a one-point drop from 2014.

San Francisco – Uber is reportedly planning to launch a same-day online retail delivery service. According to TechCrunch, Uber has already issued training documents for drivers and couriers who want to participate in the service.

About 400 retailers including Neiman Marcus, Louis Vuitton, Tiffany’s, Cohen’s Fashion Optical and Hugo Boss are said to be considering participating in what will be called the Uber Merchant Delivery Program. Training documents reference retailers Hugo Boss and Cohen’s Fashion Optical as examples.

Plano, Texas -- J.C. Penney Company has named consumer marketing executive and board member Mary Beth West as executive VP and chief customer and marketing officer, effective June 1. She replaces Debra Berman, who resigned as CMO after less than two years with the retailer.  West will be stepping down from the board to assume the new role.

Plano, Texas – J.C. Penney Co. Inc. is expanding its in-store partnership with Sephora. Starting May 1, Penney will introduce Sephora to 25 additional stores, enabling the global beauty retailer to enter new and smaller markets, while expanding Penney’s reach as a destination for beauty.

Since the exclusive partnership launched in 2006, more than 500 Penney stores now feature a full-service Sephora offering.

Covington, La. - Stirling Properties and CBL & Associates Properties, Inc. are announcing 12 new tenants coming to Fremaux Town Center in Slidell, Louisiana. Anchored by a 128,000-sq.-ft. Dillard's, the second phase of this development will include approximately 285,000-sq.-ft. of additional retail space, including previously announced tenants Red Robin, Zales, Francesca’s and Aveda.  

Construction is moving along as scheduled with a planned opening of Phase II in October 2015.