Discount Store

By Lindsay Carlson, Adam Biegel and Kimyatta McClary, Alston & Bird LLP Over the past 18 months, there has been a significant increase in litigation and enforcement activity concerning comparative price advertising in the retail industry. Companies can face substantial reputational and cost consequences if targeted, and should consider examining their price advertising models and prepare to defend these models.

By Lindsay Carlson,  Adam Biegel and Kimyatta McClary, Alston & Bird LLP   Over the past 18 months, there has been a significant increase in litigation and enforcement activity concerning comparative price advertising in the retail industry. Companies can face substantial reputational and cost consequences if targeted, and should consider examining their price advertising models and prepare to defend these models.  

In its 10th year, the Top Redevelopers survey continues to underscore the industry sea change from ground-up new-builds to redeveloping existing assets. Each year, the names of our Top Redevelopers may change, but their goals remain the same: maximize shopping center portfolios by keeping each asset current, vibrant and viable.

Kalamazoo, Mich. -- Mid-America Real Estate Corporation’s Investment Sales team recently brokered the sale of Maple Hill Mall in Kalamazoo, Mich. The 283,551-sq.-ft. center was purchased from Kimco Realty Corp. by Whitehouse, Ohio-based Devonshire REIT.  

To some folks, he’s an innovator, a genius who has fundamentally transformed the retail equation. To others, he’s a bully. And now Jeff Bezos has a new label: the world’s best-performing CEO.

The designation comes way of the Harvard Business Review’s 2014 ranking of the 100 best-performing CEOs. The list offers the only ranking of global CEOs’ performances over their entire tenure.

Yuma, Ariz. -- Construction is complete on Phase 2 of the Fortuna Commons shopping center, anchored by Fry’s Food & Drug. New tenants include Firehouse Subs, Goodwill, and AutoZone.  

Discount online shopping site Overstock.com has lowered prices on books and is offering a 15% bonus to loyalty members in what CEO Patrick Byrne is calling a price war with Amazon.

"We will analyze the results and cost benefits of this price war against Amazon and decide how long to continue the promotion. Right now it's scheduled to last through Cyber Monday," said Byrne.

Plano, Texas -- The J.C. Penney Co. Inc. will open stores and begin its Black Friday sale activities at 5 p.m. local time on Thanksgiving Day. The company announced its plans via a tweet on the official JCPenney news account.   This start time is an hour earlier than the 6 p.m. Thanksgiving opening time of competing department stores Macy’s and Sears, and three hours earlier than the 8 p.m. opening time Penney used for Thanksgiving 2013.