Retail

Grandin Road will step into the physical space in what promises to be a frightening debut.   The direct retailer of home furnishings and décor will open a Halloween pop-up at Macy’s flagship in Herald Square in New York City. The 1,400-sq.-ft. shop will showcase Grandin Road’s Halloween decoration collection, which has grown steadily over the past decade.  

The first phase of NewMark Merrill’s redevelopment of the Village at the Peaks in Longmont, Colorado — a 500,000-sq.-ft. lifestyle center — has been completed.   The company purchased the 50% vacant Twin Peaks Mall in 2012 for $8.5 million and has since pumped $90 million into construction of the new project in a private partnership with the city of Longmont that included a $32 million public bond.  

Ikea has tabbed a 123-acre parcel 17 miles north of downtown Denver as the potential site of its second location in the metro. The Swedish furniture retailer made its debut in the area with a store in Centennial in 2011.   Ikea set no time frame for the opening of the second store, though the city of Denver has begun the process of incorporating a new Ikea into the master-planned retail center destined for the site in Broomfield at the intersection of Interstate 25 and State Highway 7.  

Weis Markets on Thursday announced it has converted and reopened five former Mars Super Markets as Weis Markets stores located in Baltimore County, including two locations in Dundalk and individual units in Essex, Arbutus and Carney.  

Sprouts Farmers Market Inc. reported second-quarter net income of $37.2 million, which topped Wall Street expectations.    The natural and organic food retailer posted revenue of $1.03 billion in the period, narrowly missing Street forecasts of $1.04 billion, but topping last year’s sales by 14%.   Same-store sales grew 4.1% in the period.

The Cato Corp. reported sales of $61.2 million for the four weeks ended July 30, down 8% from the same period a year ago.     Same-store sales for the month were down 10% from the prior year.   On a quarterly basis, Cato sales for the second quarter fell 5% to $236.7 million, compared to $249.2 million a year ago. Second quarter same-store sales were down 6% from the prior year.  

Michaels purchased the rights to Hancock Fabrics’ brand and intellectual property for $1.3 million from U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Delaware.    The Texas-based crafts retailer takes possession of its ex-rival’s patents and trademarks, as well as its name. Personal and transactional data from 10 million Hancock customers was included in the deal, according to the Memphis Business Journal.  

HSN’s CFO and COO is taking a new job, but she won’t have to travel far.   Judy Schmeling has assumed the helm of the Cornerstone Brands division of HSN, which consists of home and apparel banners such as Frontgate, Garnet Hill, Grandin Road and TravelSmith.    Schmeling, who will continue to report to HSN CEO Mindy Grossman, will maintain her COO position at HSN, and she will remain CFO until a successor is appointed.