Retail

Toms River, N.J. — Ashley Furniture has leased 34,097 sq. ft. at Seacourt Pavilion in Toms River, N.J. The new store is slated to open in April 2014. Metro Commercial Real Estate represented the owner, SP Acquisition Associations.

Ashley Furniture is the top selling furniture store brand in the world and the top retailer of furniture and bedding in the U.S. The company’s stores operate throughout the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Central America and Japan.

Publix is heading to South Carolina with two stores which will be located in North Myrtle Beach and Pawleys Island.

The first lease is for North Myrtle Beach located in the Coastal North Town Center at Hwy. 17 and Moss Place. The store will be a 49,000-sq.-ft. Publix supermarket and is expected to open in late 2014.

Home furnishings retailer West Elm is opening a retail store in Birmingham, Ala., Thursday, Oct. 10 — it’s first ever location in the state.

The nearly 8,000-sq.ft. store located in the Summit Birmingham shopping center will feature the brand’s mix of furniture, home décor, gifts and artist collaborations. The store will also feature an assortment of local handcrafted products sourced through Etsy.com, including one-of-a-kind furniture, lighting, leather goods and wall art.

Seattle -- HauteLook, an online flash sale retailer owned by Nordstrom, announced that founder Adam Bernhard is stepping out of the CEO role and day-to-day operations of the business, but will remain with HauteLook in an advisory capacity. Terry Boyle will remain as president, reporting to Jamie Nordstrom, president of Nordstrom Direct. With HauteLook fully operating as a division of Nordstrom, no CEO will be appointed in Bernhard's place
   

A survey of 87 retailers conducted by Pacific Gas & Electric found many are unhappy with their lighting and are considering LED lighting to save energy. But, at the same time, they lack sufficient information to evaluate products.

New York — Sam’s Club will open two new clubs on Oct. 3. One is located in Romeoville, Ill. Romeoville Mayor John Noak, Chicago Bears cornerback Tim Jennings and former Bears tight end Desmond Clark, will attend the grand opening.

The second new Sam’s Club is located in Edmond, Okla. Edmond Mayor Charles Lamb, Oklahoma quarterback Jason White and former Sooner running back Billy Sims will attend the grand opening.

New York -- Urban Outfitters has purchased 6.5 acres in the Philadelphia suburb of Devon, Pa., on which is plans to build a lifestyle shopping village concept, according to Racked Philly.

The report said that the retailer plans to build a Terrain garden center, an Anthropologie, a boutique hotel, two restaurants, and a specialty foods market, along with such other  possibilities as a health/spa facility.

City of Commerce, Calif. – 99 Cents Only Stores is opening its first store in Maricopa, Ariz., on Oct. 10. The new store is approximately 11,615 sq. ft. and will feature a perishable food department, including produce, dairy and frozen foods.

99 Cents Only currently operates 331 retail stores consisting of 238 stores in California, 44 in Texas, 32 in Arizona, and 17 in Nevada.