Mass Merchant

Washington, D.C. – Total Halloween spending will reach $7.4 billion. According to the National Retail Federation (NRF) Halloween Consumer Spending Survey conducted by Prosper Insights & Analytics, the average person will spend $77.52 this Halloween, compared to $75.03 the prior year.

Walmart already offers a prepaid debit card, credit card, check cashing and money transfers, but it’s expanding its financial services to include an exclusive checking account called GoBank, with Green Dot Corp., a prepaid-cards specialist.

The checking account is linked to MasterCard debit cards. GoBank, which will be available nationwide by the end of October, doesn’t charge overdraft fees or minimum balance fees and waives the monthly membership cost of $8.95 with qualifying direct deposits of $500 a month.

Bentonville, Ark. – Wal-Mart Stores is moving deeper into financial services. The retailer is launching an exclusive checking account product, called GoBank, with Green Dot Corp., a prepaid-cards specialist that has a subsidiary bank. Wal-Mart already offers a prepaid debit card, credit card, check cashing and money transfers.

Toronto -- One of the nation’s most venerable department store brands, Saks Fifth Avenue, has given a big boost to the retail revitalization of Lower Manhattan. Saks’ parent Hudson’s Bay Company has signed a lease with Brookfield Property Partners to open two stores in downtown Manhattan: a 85,000-sq.-ft. Saks Fifth Avenue store in Brookfield Place (formerly called the World Financial Center), and a 55,000-sq.-ft. Saks Off 5th store at One Liberty Plaza.

According to Deloitte’s annual retail holiday sales forecast, steadily improving economic fundamentals should moderately boost holiday sales in stores and online this year.

Kmart has unveiled its annual Fab 15 holiday toy list, a week after Toys “R” Us announced its Fabulous 15.

To help drive sales, Kmart has also unveiled a "Trending Toy Ticker" at Kmart.com/Fab15. The ticker continually updates the top-selling toys as the season progresses to help shoppers keep up to date with the latest trends.

Peoria, Ariz. -- CBRE has completed the sale of Peoria Marketplace, a 25,481-sq.-ft. multi-tenant shopping center in Peoria, Arizona. The grocery shadow-anchored retail property was sold for $5.1 million.

The seller was G and T Retail Properties, LLC of Phoenix, and the buyer was Westlake Village, California-based Barstow Shopping Centers, LLC.

The property, which was 91% occupied at time of sale, features national tenants like Farmers Insurance, H&R Block, Panda Express, Little Caesar’s Pizza and Subway.

Dublin, Calif. - Ross Dress for Less will open a new store in Arizona on Oct. 11. The store is located in the Maryvale Plaza Shopping Center in Phoenix. This new opening is part of the retailer’s 2014 expansion program, totaling approximately 75 new locations during the year. 

Together, Ross Dress for Less and DD’s Discounts currently operate more than 1,300 off-price apparel and home fashion stores in 33 states, the District of Columbia and Guam.