Mass Merchant

Indianapolis — Simon Property Group and Tanger Factory Outlet Centers have announced that construction has begun on Charlotte Premium Outlets. The first phase of the planned 400,000-sq.-ft. center will open in the summer of 2014. The project is a 50/50 joint venture between Simon and Tanger.

Charlotte Premium Outlets will feature Saks Fifth Avenue Off 5th and more than 90 other outlet stores.

Tanger is providing site development and construction supervision to the venture. Simon is providing management services and marketing.

Meriden, Conn. — A TJX Marshall’s store has leased a 23,137-sq.-ft. space at the Meriden Mall in Meriden, Conn. Charter Realty and Development represented the TJX Company in the transaction. Charter Realty is TJX’s exclusive broker for Connecticut, and this is the 25th lease TJX lease the company has arranged.

Anchored by Best Buy, Dick’s Sporting Goods and Macy’s, the 894,435-sq.-ft. mall, owned by The Westfield Group, has 142 stores and ranks as the seventh largest mall in Connecticut.

Norton, Va. — Rivercrest Realty Associates has acquired the 81,297-sq.-ft. Norton Commons shopping center in Norton, Va., for $6,910,000.

Divaris Real Estate represented the seller, General Electric Credit Equities, in the transaction. At the time of the sale, the center, anchored by Burke’s Outlet, was 98% occupied.

Flemington, N.J. — HomeGoods has signed a long-term lease with The Shoppes at Flemington in Flemington, N.J., and is open and operating in a 22,000-sq.-ft. building that came as part of the deal.

Levin Management manages and markets the center for the owner, Garrison Investment Group. Welco Realty represented HomeGoods.

Levin also served as the construction manager for the development of the new retail space and managed the land development approvals.

Boise, Idaho — Gordmans Inc. has signed an anchor lease for 50,505 sq. ft. at Southshore Shopping Center in Boise, Idaho, said Pine Tree Commercial Realty LLC. The store is slated to open next spring.

The property is owned by Pine Tree –Inland Development I LLC, a joint venture between Inland Real Estate Corporation and Pine Tree Institutional Realty LLC, an affiliate of Pine Tree Commercial Realty.

Mark Bottles Real Estate Services represented the landlord in the transaction.

Warrendale, Pa. -- Rue21 stockholders have approved the previously announced merger agreement under which funds advised by Apax Partners will acquire the shares of Rue21 for $42 per share in cash. Approximately 99.7% of the shares voted at today’s special stockholder meeting voted in favor of the agreement.

Puyallup, Wash. — WiggleWorks Kids has leased a 4,500-sq.-ft. space for an indoor playground and birthday party center in the South Hill Mall in Puyallup, Wash. WiggleWorks will open the first week in December. It will be WiggleWorks second playground. The first is in Bellevue, Wash.

In addition to the playground, the WiggleWorks offers a semi-private part room equipped with a small kitchen for birthday parties, community gatherings and family gatherings.

New York -- Retail is the No. 1 category utilizing location-powered advertising, with big box, consumer electronics and department store retailers being the most frequent users, according to a new report by location-based mobile advertising firm Verve Mobile.

The "State of the Market: Location Powered Mobile Advertising, Deep Dive on Retail" study reveals that geo-fencing, which includes geo-conquesting, is the most utilized location targeting strategy deployed by retailers.  I

In other findings: