eCommerce

NEW YORK  — Spanish retailer Zara is giving consumers greater access to its European style with the launch of its first U.S. e-commerce site. 

New York City -- Centro Properties Group US announced that three Big Lots have joined its portfolio, encompassing 92,006 sq. ft. and bringing Big Lots’ total store count with Centro to 49 locations.

A 30,000-sq.-ft. Big Lots opened at Arapahoe Crossings, in Aurora, Colo.; a 28,000-sq.-ft. store opened at Lagniappe Village, in New Iberia, La.; and a 34,006-sq.-ft. lease has been executed with Big Lots at Panama City Square, located in Panama City, Fla.
 

Philadelphia -- According to a survey released Tuesday by global management consultancy Hay Group, 68% of retailers expect holiday sales to increase this year. However, hiring plans remain conservative, with 67% of retailers hiring at the same level as last year and 25% hiring fewer seasonal workers.

NEW YORK — New York Fashion Week has become more than just an opportunity for top designers to showcase their wares to industry insiders, celebrities and others privileged enough to get inside the tents. Fashion Week has become a chance for designers and retailers to bring the latest trends to the masses. 

New York City -- Robert K. Futterman & Associates said Tuesday it has secured the first U.S. location for upscale designer footwear brand Nicholas Kirkwood at 807 Washington St. in Manhattan’s Meatpacking District.

Located between Gansevoort and Horatio Streets, the 1,572-sq.-ft. ground-floor boutique is scheduled to open in the winter of 2012.

PURCHASE, N.Y. — The apparel, e-commerce, grocery, and luxury segments all showed continued growth in August, as the hardware, restaurant, and automotive repair sectors returned to positive territory, according to MasterCard Advisors SpendingPulse, a macroeconomic report tracking national retail and services sales.

Toronto -- Blockbuster Canada Co. is winding down operations. Grant Thornton Ltd., the receiver in charge of selling the chain, announced that it is seeking a court order to shut down the company’s remaining 253 stores.

The accounting firm was appointed receiver for the video chain in May.  In June, it shuttered about 150 underperforming Blockbuster outlets, and began the hunt for a buyer for the remaining outlets. But Grant Thornton said it has been unable to find a suitable buyer.
 

In Fall 2001, Steiner + Associates and Georgetown Co. completed the second phase of mixed-use trendsetter in Easton Town Center, Columbus, Ohio -- and a decade later, the 1.7-million-sq.-ft. development stands as testament that the right project in the right location with the right uses can survive even the most trying economic conditions.

Chain Store Age talked with Yaromir Steiner, CEO of Columbus-based Steiner + Associates, about Easton’s staying power during a recession, and its continued evolution as it strives to remain relevant.