eCommerce

Dallas — CBRE Capital Markets arranged financing for the acquisition of a portfolio of 16 shopping centers totaling approximately 417,000 sq. ft. Located across the country, each of the 16 strip centers is adjacent to a Wal-Mart Supercenter shadow anchor. CBRE worked on behalf of the borrower, a partnership between Dallas-based Fountain Capital and Cheney & Mathes Properties, to obtain a 10-year, $41.6 million fixed-rate, non-recourse loan through the Goldman Sachs Mortgage Co.

Ashburn, Va. — One Loudoun Downtown, a joint venture of Miller and Smith and North America Sekisui House, has announced the opening of a 23,800-sq.-ft. The Fresh Market.

One Loudoun is a 358-acre master planned community in Loudoun County, Va., that includes 1,040 homes, 702,000 sq. ft. of retail, a luxury hotel and three million sq. ft. of office space.

The Fresh Market currently operates 144 stores in 26 states.

San Francisco – Gap Inc. reported increased net and same-store sales during the third quarter of fiscal 2013 in a partial financial release. Gap’s third quarter net sales grew 3% and same-store sales grew 1% compared to the prior year.

In addition, Gap’s same-store sales grew 4% in October 2013. The retailer will release full third quarter earnings results on Nov. 21, 2013.

Fort Worth, Texas -- RadioShack will open its newest Houston location as a concept store on Nov. 9. All concept stores in the company's portfolio feature an upgraded shopping experience, which showcases the company's new look, and incorporates interactive areas designed to help shoppers improve their technology profile.

Some features include:

The five year old Green Works brand from Clorox is facing new competition on the natural products front following the launch of Walmart’s Great Value Naturals cleaning products.

Walmart said the introduction of Great Value Naturals furthers its commitment to making eco-friendly products more accessible and affordable and will be available in more than 2,000 stores and online.

Clorox introduced its Green Works brand in early 2008 and the line was prominently featured in Walmart promotional vehicles at the time.

Grand Rapids, Mich. — Meijer will open a 190,000-sq.-ft. supercenter in Danville, Ill., on Nov. 7, the sixth new Meijer store to open this year.

The family-owned retailer, which opened its first store in 1934, now has 204 stores throughout the Midwest.

Record downloads of its app and North American revenue growth have Groupon feeling good about mobile initiatives and its ongoing evolution from a provider of daily deals via email to a full bore e-commerce marketplace.

Los Angeles -- Earlier in October, shoppers were put off by holiday displays in store; now people are warming up to them. Analysis of social media buzz for the week of Oct. 30 – Nov. 5 by social media research firm Fizziology shows that positive conversation about displays rose from 15% to 22%, while negatives dropped from 10% to less than 1%.