Mass Merchant

Nordstrom continues to expand north of the border.

The retailer announced that its Nordstrom Rack off-price division will open its first Canadian location, in Toronto, in 2018.

The 38,600-sq.-ft. store will be located at One Bloor in Yorkville, on the southeast corner of Yonge Street and Bloor Street, a well-known shopping district in Toronto. It will be approximately one mile north of the Nordstrom full-line store, which is scheduled to open in September 2016 at CF Eaton Centre.

Washington, D.C. -- Gerald S. Divaris, chairman and CEO of Divaris Real Estate, announced the company negotiated five leases totaling 17,469 sq. ft. of commercial space in the metropolitan Washington, D.C., market.

Wash ‘N Dry - leased 5,792 sq. ft. of retail space at Ashdale Plaza located in Woodbridge, Virginia. Retailers at the center include: Family Dollar, Popeye’s, Wells Fargo, Goodwill and Davita. The landlord, A.R. Kronstadt Realty Investors, was represented by DRE’s Susan McGee.

For the fourth consecutive year, a department store has nabbed the top spot in a survey of the nation’s favorite fashion retailers.

Nordstrom took the top spot in the study, by Market Force Information. Interestingly, several discount retailers moved up the list this year, with Marshalls landing in the No. 2 spot. H&M and Ross Dress for Less tied for third, Kohl’s was fourth and Macy’s was fifth.

For the fourth consecutive year, a department store has nabbed the top spot in a survey of the nation’s favorite fashion retailers.

Nordstrom took the top spot in the study, by Market Force Information.  Interestingly, severak discount retailers moved up the list this year, with Marshalls landing in the No. 2 spot. H&M and Ross Dress for Less tied for third, Kohl’s was fourth and Macy’s was fifth.  

Bold, curious and accountable is the future Target’s new chief human resources officer said she looks forward to helping create.

Eleven year Target veteran Stephanie Lundquist was elevated to the role of executive VP and chief human resources officer, arguably one of the most important positions in a company with nearly 350,000 employees and 1,800 stores.

Nordstrom revealed dramatic plans for a massive and elaborate flagship in Manhattan designed to wow residents of a city accustomed to the best retailers have to offer.

The approximately 363,000-sq.-ft. store will encompass four individual properties in the Columbus Circle neighborhood of Manhattan, along Broadway between West 57th and West 58th Streets. Slated to open in 2019, it will be the retailer’s second largest store to date (the largest, at 383,000 sq. ft., is in its Seattle hometown).

Retail industry sales will grow an estimated 3.1% in 2016, outpacing the 10 year industry average, as economic headwinds diminish, according to a forecast released by the National Retail Federation.

The NRF sales forecast of 3.1% excludes automobiles, gas stations and restaurants and exceeds the 10 year growth rate of 2.7%. Non-store retail sales are forecast to growth between 6% and 9%.

Tractor Supply Company continues its rapid expansion, with the grand opening of its 1,500th store, on Feb. 13, in Odessa, Texas.

The retailer opened a total of 114 stores in 2015, and expects to open between 115 and 120 locations in 2016. Tractor Supply stores are located primarily in towns outlying major metropolitan markets and in rural communities.