Discount Store

Chesterfield, Mo. — Taubman Prestige Outlets Chesterfield, a new fashion outlet center opening on Aug. 2, has announced its lineup of stores, many new to the St. Louis market.

Store names include Polo ralph Laurent Factory Store, Restoration Hardware, Abercrombie & Fitch Outlet, Abercrombie kids, 2b bebe Outlet, Lucky Brand Outlet, Brooks Brothers Factory Store and many other well-known names.

ABILENE, Kan. — Argonne Capital Group LLC, a private investment firm based in Atlanta, Ga., has entered into a definitive merger agreement with Alco Stores, which will allow Argonne to acquire all outstanding shares of the broad-line retailer’s common stock for $14 per share in cash. 

Grand Rapids, Mich. — Meijer has opened a 190,000-sq.-ft. supercenter at the Gateway Marketplace shopping center located in the Michigan State Fairgrounds.

The new supercenter includes a grocery and full-service pharmacy with a drive-through.

New York -- The Dump Furniture Store plans to open a 134,000-sq.-ft. outlet in Lombard, Ill. and a 215,000-sq.-ft. warehouse in Addison, Ill. over the summer.

With 11 locations, the big-box retailer offers discounted famous-name furniture in stores open only on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Vancouver, B.C. – 99 Cents Only Stores is digitizing its audit management procedures with the ACL GRC internal audit management system. Leveraging the GRC solution, the retailer will replace spreadsheets and shared drives. Anticipated benefits include increased collaboration and visibility among team members, the ability to more easily perform risk assessments and scoring, and ease of workflow adjustment as new issues and risks are identified.

Erie, Pa. — Zoom Tan has leased a 1,559-sq.-ft. space for a tanning parlor at Liberty Center II in Erie, Pa., according to Levin Management. Flaum Management Co. Inc. represented the tenant in the transaction.

The 7,443-sq.-ft. Liberty Center II is directly across the street from the 227,000-sq.-ft. Liberty Center, which is anchored by Top’s Markets and Peebles department store.

Chattanooga, Tenn. — CBL & Associates Properties has announced that Dunham’s Sports has leased a 60,200-sq.-ft. space in Randolph Mall in Asheboro. N.C. Scheduled to open for the 2013 holiday shopping season, the new Dunham’s will replace Dillard’s, which closed in late July.

Belk, J.C. Penney, Sears and Cinemark theatre anchor the 380,000-sq.-ft. regional Randolph Mall.

I’m sure I’m not the only one who has some pretty vivid memories of back- to-school shopping: getting dragged out alongside my mother to buy new outfits and a few No. 2 pencils. Now, it seems like everyone in the retail world is finding a way to join the party.