Mass Merchant

Watauga, Texas — Dollar Tree has leased an 8,450-sq.-ft. location at Brooks Crossing, a community retail center in Watauga, Texas. The Weitzman Group represented the shopping center, and The Retail Connection represented Dollar Tree.

The Brooks Crossing tenant line-up includes Albertsons, GameStop, Tuesday Morning, Chase, GNC, Subway, Taco Bell and others. Cencor Realty Services manages Brooks Crossing.

Philadelphia -- Five Below reported that its net sales increased by 27.9% to $110.7 million, from $86.6 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2012. Same-store sales rose 9.0%.

Net income was $1.7 million compared to $0.7 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2012.

Boulder, Colo. -- Nordstrom is North America’s overall favorite fashion retailer for the second consecutive time, according to a new study of more than 6,800 consumers conducted by Market Force Information (Market Force), a provider of customer intelligence solutions.

Kohl’s is the most visited for casual clothing, business attire and children’s clothing, while Dick’s Sporting Goods won out for sports apparel and DSW for footwear.

Goodlettsville, Tenn. – Dollar General delivered some impressive financial results for the third quarter of fiscal 2013 as traffic improved and shoppers spent more per transaction on average. The retailer said it plans to open approximately 700 stores in fiscal 2014 and remodel or relocate approximately 525 locations, expanding store selling square footage by 6% to 7%.

Dollar General’s net income increased by a better-than-expected 14% to $237 million in the 2013 third quarter compared to $208 million in year-ago period.

Phoenix — The Tabani Group has acquired the 578,666-sq.-ft. Prescott Gateway Mall in Prescott, Ariz., according to CBRE, the broker that represented the undisclosed seller in the transaction.

A strong increase in shopper traffic at Costco during November translated to a 3% increase in same-store sales, excluding gas, at U.S. locations during the four-week November reporting period which ended December 1.

Costco didn’t comment specifically on Thanksgiving weekend sales during a recorded call to recap results, but the company did say that traffic increased a little more than 4% while average transaction sizes were down slightly. Costco and its direct competitors Sam’s Club and BJ’s Wholesale Club were closed on Thanksgiving Day.

Northbrook, Ill. — StreetMac Asset Managers and Five Mile Capital Partners LLC have joined forces to recapitalize Stratford Square Mall in Bloomingdale, Ill.

The 1.3 million-sq.-ft. mall features more than 100 stores and restaurants, a 14-screen cinema complex and national retail anchors including Macy’s, Sears, Carson Pirie Scott, J.C. Penney, Kohl’s and Burlington Coat Factory.

New York -- Sales at U.S. chain stores were up 2.1% in November, or 3% without the effects of gasoline sales, according to the International Council of Shopping Centers. The group had predicted an increase of 3.5% to 4.5%.

“Sales were constrained by weak apparel sales this month,” said Michael P. Niemira, chief economist, ICSC. “November was a very competitive environment for retailers, and the softness in the November tally suggests some cautiousness by consumers.”