Mass Merchant

Brooklyn goes Euro: King’s Plaza redo features Primark and Zara
Primark, one of Europe’s largest apparel retailers, will anchor a complete redevelopment of Macerich’s Kings Plaza in Brooklyn. It will be joined by Spain-based Zara, which the New York Times has called the world’s largest fashion retailer. The Sears store at Kings Plaza will close for renovation in September.
Simon Completes Philadelphia Mills Renovation
The renovation of Philadelphia Mills, that city’s largest outlet shopping center, is now complete according to owner Simon. New entrances, lighting, flooring, and dining pavilion highlight the project, which was begun in 2014. The renovation attracted several new retailers to the location, among them Express Factory, Rack Room Shoes, Steve Madden, and Starbucks. Longtime tenants such as Saks Off 5th, HomeGoods, and Marshalls followed Simon’s lead with store re-dos of their own.

Nimble small- to mid-level retailers steal share from larger, traditional chains

Think online is the biggest challenge traditional retailers face? Think again.
Fast-fashion giant profit slides; remains upbeat about store growth

H&M isn’t letting a weak second quarter performance stand in the way of its ambitious expansion plans. The Swedish retailer’s profit in the quarter, which ended May 31, fell 17% to 5.357 billion Swedish kronor ($649.6 million), according to MarketWatch, as unusually cool weather dimmed sales of spring clothing and a strong U.S. dollar added to its costs. The strong dollar will have a negative impact on purchasing costs for the third quarter and a neutral effect in the fourth, the chain said.
Survey: Shoplifters, dishonest employees continue to plague retail industry

With all the attention placed on cybercrime, it is easy to overlook the threat posed by old fashioned shoplifters and dishonest employees.
Home furnishings retailer expanding in Southeast

Ikea is submitting plans to the City of Norfolk, Virginia, to open a 331,000-sq.-ft. store. Pending approvals, construction of the proposed store could begin in spring 2017, with an opening in summer 2018. The retailer said it would evaluate potential on-site power generation to complement its current U.S. renewable energy presence at nearly 90% of its U.S. locations.
Former consumer electronics powerhouse charging up for store reboot

Circuit City is reportedly getting closer to a relaunch. The new owner of the defunct consumer electronics chain is currently working with brokers from CBRE to open a 6,000-sq.-ft. to 9,000-sq.-ft. prototype store in Dallas, reported consumer electronics industry publication Twice. The relaunched business will also include a dedicated e-commerce site, as well as a presence on digital marketplaces such as Amazon.
eBay promotion puts customers in charge
Michael Glimcher steps down from the company founded by his father

WP Glimcher announced that CEO and vice chairman Michael Glimcher has resigned from the REIT founded by his father, Herbert. Board member Louis Conforti was named interim CEO at the company slated to be rebranded as the Washington Prime Group. Several other senior leadership changes were announced, including the replacement of Mark Ordan as board chairman with Robert J. Laikin, who had been the board’s lead independent director. Ordan stays on as a director.
Drug Store News, Mack Elevation co-host new 10x Thought Leadership Forum

The roster of speakers for the Aug.