Mass Merchant

New York - President Obama met with Wal-Mart Stores CEO Mike Duke in the Oval Office Monday afternoon. Sources said Obama and Duke were to discuss ways to spur job growth and encourage companies to invest in the United States.

Arriving at the White House, Duke declined to answer questions about the substance of the meeting.

“We’re just going to have a nice visit,” he said, according to Bloomberg.

North Miami Beach, Fla. - Boca Raton, Fla.-based Woolbright Development announced two new tenants for Intracoastal Mall, a 234,000-sq.-ft. shopping center in North Miami Beach.

Hiro’s Yakko-San will open a 4,438-sq.-ft. Japanese restaurant in December 2010. And Dollar Tree has leased 10,200 sq. ft. and is slated to open a new store in early 2011.

Intracoastal Mall is anchored by TJ Maxx, Old Navy, Winn Dixie and Sunrise Cinemas.

Cincinnati -- Phillips Edison and Co.'s Fund IV announced its acquisition of Marketplace Shopping Center, in Independence, Mo.

The property was purchased from Centro Properties Group and Ingrid Long and Drew Quinn of Grubb & Ellis represented the Seller on the transaction. The 241,682-sq.-ft shopping center is anchored by Price Chopper.

Disney Store has opened its largest and most ambitious store to date -- smack in the middle of Manhattan’s Times Square. The 20,000-sq.ft., two-level Disney emporium is about five times bigger than most Disney stores, with a layout that is divided by the company’s most popular franchises.

Santa Clara, Calif. -- A study of some of the country’s largest retailers’ return policies has found significant failings, according to CrossView, a premier provider of cross-channel commerce solutions.