eCommerce

WASHINGTON — A Tuesday report by the Commerce Department showed that U.S. retail sales during the month of April edged up 0.1%, following a 0.7% gain in March and marking the smallest rise of the year so far. The gain was in line with projections.

Excluding auto sales, retail sales climbed 0.1% in April.

This is not your father’s (or my father’s) RECon. True, the conference wasn’t called that back then, but it is clear to me that this influential annual event is evolving. I see three relatively new RECon trends/developments that I think are significant beyond the conference itself; indicating bigger-picture changes within the broader retail real estate industry:

Stronger international presence

Austin, Texas -- Golfsmith reported Tuesday that it posted a loss of $3.6 million in the first quarter, compared with a loss of $3.1 million in the year-ago period.

Sales improved 11% to $90.5 million for the quarter. Same-store sales grew 8.5%.

Orlando, Fla. -- Jones Lang LaSalle announced that it was selected for two retail assignments in Florida: management and leasing for the Galleria at Fort Lauderdale in Ft. Lauderdale and management for Vero Beach Outlets in Vero Beach.

The Galleria at Fort Lauderdale is a 964,423-sq.-ft. super-regional mall in South Florida, anchored by Neiman Marcus, Macy’s and Dillard’s.

Los Angeles -- Lorna Jane, the premier Australian activewear brand for women, will open its second U.S. location, in Marina del Rey, Calif., this month. 

The company’s other U.S. location opened in March 2012, in Malibu, Calif. A third flagship store is scheduled to open in June in Santa Monica, and an online retail store will launch later this year.

Toronto -- Golf Town, Canada's largest specialty golf retailer, will acquire Golfsmith International Holdings Inc. for approximately $97.2 million. The Canadian company will pay $6.10 per share in cash, which represents a 30% premium over the Austin, Texas-based Golfsmith’s Friday closing stock price of $4.71.

Golfsmith operates 85 stores in the United States.

As retail real estate professionals from around the world prepare for the annual RECon convention in Las Vegas, it seems pretty clear to me that the anticipation for this year’s event is on the rise. This is a noticeable change from some recent years, where the recession eliminated any enthusiasm we once saw in the “glory days.”

Indianapolis -- Simon Property Group announced that Saks Fifth Avenue Off 5th will open a total of seven new stores in the next two years in its Premium Outlets division, including new centers and existing centers.