Mass Merchant

New York — INTIMACY (bra fit stylists) has opened a lingerie shop at 104 Fifth Avenue in the New York City’s Flatiron retail district. Faith Hope Consolo Chairman, and Joseph A. Aquino, executive VP of Douglas Elliman’s Retail Group, represented the landlord in the transaction. Stacey Robins Realty represented INTIMACY.

Other national and international brands with stores in the area include Aldo, Anthropologie, Banana Republic, Coach, J.Crew, Kenneth Cole and 7 for all mankind.

New York -- With a late Thanksgiving and the shortest holiday shopping season in years, consumers report they are starting their holiday shopping sooner and spending more this year, according to the latest American Express Spending & Saving Tracker research. The report is more optimistic than some other holiday forecasts.

Dallas – Four-in-10 (43%) of U.S. smartphone users purchased a good via their device in the last month. The new Parks Associates study “Mobile Commerce: Keys to Mass Adoption” also shows that 54% of Target shoppers have used their smartphone to make an in-store purchase in the last month, compared to 38% of Wal-Mart customers.

Target is taking a page from Apple and remodeling its electronics department to echo the minimalist format seen in Apple and even Best Buy stores, according to a report in the StarTribune.

 “It’s more a minimalist approach with space for consumers to touch and test the merchandise,” said Chris Christopher, director of consumer electronics at IHS Global Insight in Massachusetts, in the report.

Plano, Texas -- J.C. Penney joined the list of retail chains that plan to open their stores on Thanksgiving night to kick off the holiday shopping season.  

Penney will open most of its 1,100 stores at 8 p.m., the same as Macy's. Last year, Penney opened its stores at 6 a.m. on Black Friday, while rivals Macy’s and Kohl’s opened their doors at midnight.

Austin, Texas — CBRE’s National Retail Investment Group has announced the sale of The Market at Parmer Lane on behalf of LPC Retail, a division of Dallas-based Lincoln Property Company. The buyer is a Texas-based private real estate fund advised by Crow Holdings Capital Partners. Terms were undisclosed.

H-E-B Grocery anchors the 122,349-sq.-ft. center, which is 93.3% occupied.

Pittsburgh – Dick’s Sporting Goods is opening new stores in Wyoming and Kentucky on Oct. 25. The new stores are located at the Eastridge Mall in Casper, Wy., and Gary Farms in Bowling Green, Ky.

The Casper store will be Dick’s first store in Wyoming, and the Bowling Green will be the retailer’s ninth store in Kentucky. Dick’s will have a total of 547 stores as of Oct. 25.

Colton, Calif. — The Hodgdon Group, a brokerage, development, construction and project management firm, has converted a former Sam’s Club in Sacramento into a 60,000-sq.-ft/ Burlington Coat Factory.

The new store opened last week. Hodgdon Group Realty and CBRE Sacramento represented the investor in the acquisition of the Sam’s Club building, as well as the landlord in the lease transaction. Retail West Inc. represented Burlington Coat Factory. An additional tenant has leased the remaining space and plans to open soon.