Mass Merchant

There is a growing disconnect between shoppers’ growing in-store service expectations and retailers’ current service offerings and focus for the coming year.

Baton Rouge -- JLL’s Capital Markets experts announced the firm has closed the sale of Hammond Aire Plaza located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on behalf of Kimco Realty. The asset was purchased by a joint venture partnership between DRA Advisors and Viking Partners.

Managing director Margaret Caldwell, VP Diane Roberts and associate Eric Spencer led the JLL team on the transaction.

Walgreens, along with a host of other retailers, on Tuesday opted into Visa's Visa Checkout to help facilitate an omnichannel shopping experience. Walmart.com also will be incorporating the option into its services within the year, Visa reported.

QVC chief information officer Linda Dillman has joined the board of the GS1 US supply chain information standard organization.

GS1 US is a supply chain information standards organization.

Dillman will help guide the GS1 US strategy for driving the adoption and usage of the GS1 System of Standards in e-commerce. The standards uniquely identify products, services and locations globally. They are designed to assist in enhancing the consumer shopping experience while boosting online retailer efficiency, revenue and loyalty.

New York City is the best city for shopping in the world, according to a report by Expedia.co.uk, followed by Berlin and Los Angeles. While New York has long been a retail hub, the Expedia study, “The World’s 25 Best Shopping Cities,” also contains a few surprises — Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), for example, is ranked No. 5. [Expedia.co.uk]

Newport News, Va. -- Inland Real Estate Income Trust announced the acquisition of the approximately 210,000-sq. ft. Marketplace at Tech Center, a newly constructed grocery-anchored power center, in Newport News, Virginia. Mark Cosenza, VP of Inland Real Estate Acquisitions facilitated the purchase of the property on behalf of Inland Income Trust.

Miami -- Taubman Centers announced that it has decided not to move forward with an enclosed regional mall that was slated to be part of the Miami Worldcenter mixed-use, urban development in Miami. Instead, Taubman, in conjunction with The Forbes Company and Miami Worldcenter’s master developer, Miami Worldcenter Associates, is now pursuing a high street retail plan that will better utilize the unique characteristics of the site and the market.

Photo: Jeff Burt