Discount Store

New York – Saks Fifth Avenue is reportedly planning to both increase the amount of high-end luxury goods it sells and also increase the number of Saks Off 5th outlet stores it operates. According to the Wall Street Journal, Richard Baker, CEO of Canadian department store chain (and new Saks owner) Hudson’s Bay Company wants to overhaul Saks stores by selling more items such as $48,000 Louis Vuitton crocodile handbags.

Northbrook, Ill. — Pine Tree Commercial Realty has acquired two shopping centers, one in Nevada and the other in Missouri. The developer has also broken ground on four properties, two in Illinois, one in Idaho, and one in California.

The activity brings Pine Tree’s current portfolio to 3.2 million sq. ft. in 24 properties.

Hampstead, Md. – Five major investors in Jos. A. Bank — who combined own 17% of the menswear retailer — have told the company’s board they support dialogue with rival menswear retailer Men’s Wearhouse about its proposed $1.6 billion buyout offer, Bloomberg reports. Jos. A. Bank rejected the offer, which is good until March 28, on Jan. 15, and Men’s Wearhouse has publicly called for Jos. A. Bank to reconsider and said it may raise the offer.

The opportunity to win a $100 gift card and appear in a television commercial is being used by Meijer to entice parents to upload photos of their kids to the retailer’s Facebook page.

As part of a contest called “Star with Sandy,” Meijer is giving customers until February 6 to submit photos of their kids or themselves when they were young riding a mechanical horse named “Sandy” that can be found at each of Meijer’s 204 stores in five Midwestern states.

Oakbrook Terrace, Ill. — Shopping Center development in Chicagoland has improved significantly in recent years. Activity showed a 98.7% increase in total sq. ft. from 2012 to 1013, according to the “Chicagoland 2014 Shopping Center Report” just issued by Mid-America Real Estate Corp.

In 2013, owners developed approximately 2.26 million sq. ft., compared to 1.14 million sq. ft. in 2012.

Los Angeles — CBRE’s national retail investment group has arranged the sale of Oak Grove Plaza, a 120,491-sq.-ft. retail center anchored by Kroger Signature, to Chicago-based LaSalle Investment Management.

CBRE marketed the property, which is located in the Dallas suburb of Sachse, Texas, on behalf of Invesco Advisers.

New York -- The Retail Industry Leaders Association elected Richard Dreiling, chairman and CEO of Dollar General, as the new chairman of its board of directors.

“I am honored to have the opportunity to serve as board chairman for RILA and to work with this exceptional group of retail leaders to strengthen our industry,” said Dreiling. “RILA is a critical strategic partner in empowering our industry to speak with one voice to champion issues that affect the retail sector, our workforce and our valued customers.”

Revelations of job cuts at leading retailers, the latest involving Sam’s Club, are a reminder that pro-active expense control remains retailers' best friend when it comes to ensuring profitability when faced with a murky outlook for consumer spending.

Sam’s Club on Friday became the latest retailer to disclose plans to eliminate 2,300 hourly and middle management positions. The move was characterized as a rebalancing of resources, according to Sam’s Club spokesman Bill Durling. Other retailers such as Macy’s and Target also recently announced job cuts.