Discount Store

A German discount grocer is buying up land in the Grand Canyon State — but not to open stores.    Aldi is planning to open a regional fulfillment center in Goodyear, Arizona. The facility will house an office and distribution center, and will create 132 jobs, according to the Phoenix Business Journal.  

The Neighborhoods at Butler

Location: Gainesville, Fla.

Size: 2.1 million sq. ft. (1.75 million sq. ft. with an additional 350,000 sq. ft. under development)

Developer/Owner: Butler Enterprises

Grocery anchor: Publix (West), Publix (Central), Trader Joe’s, Aldi, plus sizeable food components in Walmart, Sam’s Club and Target. Adding Whole Foods to anchor Butler Town Center (under construction with a planned opening winter 2018).

The import tax proposal has officially been removed from the tax reform plan — which is welcome news for retailers across the industry.   On Thursday, congressional and administration leaders announced they would remove the Border Adjustment Tax (BAT) from consideration, and announced an outline for comprehensive tax reform. The BAT provision would have ended importers’ ability to deduct the cost of merchandise purchased from other countries.   

The challenges of physical retail have inspired new concepts and new entrants to the supermarket business in America

Dunhill Partners has acquired The Center at Pearland Parkway in Houston, which houses T.J. Maxx and Ross Dress for Less and is shadow-anchored by an HEB grocery store. Seller Stream Realty Partners did not disclose the sale price.   "Due to the ideal spacing between the two closest major retail nodes, the Center at Pearland Parkway offers tenants the ability to capture this under-served community with limited competition," said Stream managing director Mark Sondock.  

Families are keeping back-to-school shopping — and spending — simple.   Nearly two-thirds of families budgeted $250 or less for all their back-to-school needs, with only a quarter indicating they will spend between $251 and $500. With tight budgets, families are focusing on price and selection when it comes to buying goods for their youngsters.  

Two heavy hitters in the Canadian real estate market are eyeing Sears Canada properties — but not its Home Stores.   RioCan Real Estate Investment Trust, and a unit of H&R Real Estate Investment Trust are among potential bidders interested in Sears Canada assets. They are two of the biggest players in the Canadian real estate marketplace, according to Bloomberg.  

A new Marshalls location will co-anchor the Shoppes at Apple Greene in Dunkirk, Maryland, along with Harris Teeter, according to center owners Echo Realty and Marrick Partners.   The 21,000-sq.-ft. location will be Marshalls’ first in Calvert County, due south of Baltimore, where Marshalls operates two stores.   The 48,000-sq.-ft. Harris Teeter store is under construction at Apple Greene, a new 100,000-sq.-ft. center with an additional 30,000 sq. ft. available for lease.