Mass Merchant

Cincinnati — Phillips Edison—ARC Shopping Center REIT Inc. has announced the acquisition of Yorktown Centre, a 196,728-sq.-ft. shopping center in Erie, Pa. Anchored by a Giant Eagle grocery store, Yorktown Centre is 100 percent occupied.

When Walmart lowered its full year sales forecast last month the company said customer were being cautious with their spending. Maybe so, but that wasn’t the case in new car showrooms were automakers reported record sales and in the process created new holiday headwind for Walmart and other retailers.

The Woodlands, Texas - Conn’s, Inc. reported net income of $19.2 million, up $7.6 million, or 65.1%, from the prior-year period during the second quarter of fiscal 2013.

Consolidated revenues totaled $270.7 million, an increase of 30.5% from last year.

Same-store sales grew 18.4%. Sales increased significantly in product categories including home appliance, laundry, refrigeration, cooking, furniture, mattresses, TVs, tablets and computers.

Chattanooga, Tenn. — CBL & Associates Properties has closed on the sale of three malls and three related associated centers in a portfolio transaction for a gross sale price of $176 million in cash. The properties include Georgia Square Mall and Georgia Square Plaza in Athens, Ga.; Panama City Mall and The Shoppes at Panama City in Panama City, Fla.; and Rivergate Mall and Village at Rivergate in Nashville, Tenn.

MENOMONEE FALLS, Wis. — Kohl’s is adding designer Peter Som to its DesigNation limited-edition collection roster. Some is the fourth designer to join the team.

As part of the Kohl’s DesigNation concept featuring premier designer fashions based on international inspiration, the collection will draw creative influence from Som’s recent trip to St. Barths. The collection features apparel for women and will be available exclusively at Kohl’s and Kohls.com beginning spring 2014.

Houston -- Saks Inc. will open a new flagship store immediately adjacent to its existing location in the Houston Galleria, featuring 198,000 sq. ft. over two levels and a state-of-the-art store design. The current store will remain open until the new store opens in fall 2015. Once the old store closes, it will be converted to a two-level mall wing connecting the new Saks to Neiman Marcus and adding 35 retailers and restaurants.

THE WOODLANDS, Texas — Regional consumer electronics retailer Conn’s plans to more than double its footprint in Phoenix following second quarter results, which showed an 18.4% increase in same-store sales.

Nordstrom never rushes things. It moves forward slowly, thoughtfully and creatively. And when the company makes a decision, observers tend to nod their heads and say: “Hey, that’s a good idea.”

A week ago, in a news conference announcing the acquisition of a West Side Manhattan Nordstrom store site for $102.5 million, Peter Nordstrom said: “We’ve had the intention and the drive, gosh, probably for the last 25 years to try to be here. We fully expect this to be our most successful store.”