eCommerce

Columbus, Ohio -- Limited Brands reported Thursday that its jumped 27% to $452.3 million in the fourth quarter, compared with $356.1 million in the year-ago period, on strong sales and healthy margins.

The parent to Victoria's Secret and Bath & Body Works previously announced that revenues for the quarter ended Jan. 29 rose 13% to $3.46 billion, beating Wall Street's estimate. Same-store sales increased 10%.

For the full year, net sales were $9.613 billion compared with net sales of $8.632 billion last year. Same-store sales rose 9%.

Seattle -- American Girl said Wednesday it will make its Northwest U.S. debut as it opens a new store this summer at Alderwood Mall in Lynnwood, Wash.

According to a report by the Seattle Times, the Middleton, Wis.-based retailer, a division of Mattel, said it is taking 12,500 sq. ft. of space spanning the mall's interior and outdoor Village.
 
The new store will replace several departed or relocated tenants, including Cold Stone Creamery, World Wrapps and Anchor Blue.

Cherry Hill, N.J. -- Philadelphia-based Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust (PREIT) said that frozen yogurt purveyor Red Mango has opened at Cherry Hill Mall.

The 196-sq.-ft. Red Mango kiosk is located near Macy’s Court and is the company’s first in the region.

Minneapolis -- Best Buy said in fiscal 2012 it will concentrate on growing its smaller-format mobile chain and restructure parts of its supply chain processes to cut costs and improve efficiency. The retailer plans to open about 150 Best Buy Mobile stand-alone-stores in the United States, for a total of some 325 locations by year-end.

Best Buy plans to open about six to eight Best Buy-branded large-format stores in the United States, along with 18 Best Buy stores in Canada, the United Kingdom and Mexico during the year.

Vienna, Va. -- Jacksonville, Fla.-based Regency Centers said it has named Jack deVilliers as leasing agent in Baltimore, Maryland and the New England area. 

deVilliers will be responsible for leasing 13 operating properties, totaling 1.8 million sq. ft., in Maryland, Washington, D.C., Connecticut and Massachusetts.

Previously, deVilliers served as a retail leasing associate for commercial real estate broker KLNB Retail, handling tenant and landlord representation of new retail development projects.

Fort Worth, Texas -- Trademark Property Co. said Tuesday that it has been hired to oversee all retail leasing for Biltmore Park Town Square, a 42-acre, one million-plus-sq.-ft. mixed-use property in Asheville, N.C., developed by Biltmore Farms, LLC and Crosland, LLC.

The town center is anchored by an REI flagship store, Regal Cinemas, Barnes & Noble and features 276 urban residences and 270,000 sq. ft. of Class-A office space. It also offers a mix of local and regional retailers and restaurants in addition to a 165-room full-service Hilton Hotel.

FORT MEYERS, Fla. — Chico's FAS announced Tuesday that it has appointed Kent Kleeberger to the position of EVP and COO.

Kleeberger will replace Jeffrey Jones, who is retiring from the company, effective March 7. Jones will serve as part-time consultant to the company during a transition period.

Kleeberger, 58, has served as EVP finance and CFO of Chico's FAS since joining the company in November 2007. Previously, he was SVP and CFO for Dollar Tree Stores.

On Feb. 17, Borders Group announced that it had retained Melville, N.Y.-based DJM Realty, a Gordon Bros. Group Co., to manage the disposition project of the 200 stores that would be shuttered as a result of the bookseller’s just-reported Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing.

Chain Store Age talked with Andy Graiser, co-president of DJM Realty, about the assignment, and how a better Borders might emerge from the process.

Tell me about the Borders assignment, including your timeline and strategy for disposition.