Mass Merchant

Top suppliers don’t seem very worried about Macy’s looming store closings. And neither does the CEO of Gap Inc., according to a report by CNBC.com.   Gap chief executive Art Peck told attendees at Goldman Sachs' Annual Global Retailing Conference that he sees the Macy's store closures as an opportunity to grab market share, the report said.  

Retail success is based on a blend of art and science. Office Depot is such an advocate that it is expanding its use of customer insights and dedication to customer science.  

Target Corp. is putting out the red carpet for the opening of New York Fashion Week.     The retailer, in partnership with IMG, the parent company behind Fashion Week, opened a temporary sing-a-long piano lounge at The Park at Moynihan Station (on West 33rd Street), one of the official NYFW venues. It kicked off the fashion event with an opening party that drew such luminaries as Queen Latifah, Christie Brinkley, and Kendall Jenner.  

Students at Boston University have a new, convenient shopping option.   Target Corp. has opened one of its smaller format stores adjacent to the West Campus section of the university, reported BU Today. Similar stores are set to open in the coming months near the University of Chicago and at Penn State.   The 16,000-sq.-ft. Boston store carries merchandise specifically geared toward college students, from food staples like ramen noodles to bedding and bath essentials.  

A coalition of New York-based advocates have launched a national campaign to press large retailers, restaurant chains and other companies to end on-call and last-minute scheduling.   The effort comes in the wake of recent agreements by several retailers with New York's attorney general to end the practice in that state, the Associated Press reported.  

It was already generating $700 per square foot in revenue, but Broadway Plaza in San Francisco’s East Bay got a complete makeover from owner Macerich that was unveiled last week. Fireworks and a performance by Mark McGrath of Sugar Ray accompanied the ribbon-cutting.   Gross leasing area was expanded to beyond 900,000 sq. ft. and more than 50 new stores inhabit the open-air center that debuted in 1951. Nordstrom, Neiman-Marcus, and Macy’s anchor the plaza that Macerich has owned for the last 30 years.  

CBL & Associates and High Real Estate Group has the sold their joint interest in High Pointe Commons in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, to Unison Realty Partners for $33.8 million.    The proceeds will be used by the sellers to retire secured loans totaling $17.4 million, and CBL will use its net proceeds to reduce outstanding balances on its lines of credit.  

PREIT unveiled Amazon lockers at 15 of its mall locations on the East coast, making it one of the first mall owners to engage in this most physical of online-offline integrations.   Amazon shoppers who choose the locker option when checking out are notified when their packages have been delivered and can go to the locker location to pick them up. Consumers gain an added convenience and mall tenants get Web shoppers in their stores.