Retail

Fort Worth, Texas -- Cypress Equities announced that sandwich chain Which Wich will open at its West 7th mixed-use development in Fort Worth, Texas.

The 1,394-sq.-ft. shop will be located between existing West 7th merchants, Sweet Tomatoes and Wink Threading Salon.

New York -- Grupo Gigante wants buy the 50% stake in the Mexican unit of Office Depot that it does not already own.

The Mexican retailer on Thursday said it has offered 8.78 billion pesos ($687.34 million) to buy the stake, Reuters reported.

In March, Gigante entered into a joint venture with Petco Animal Supplies to open at least 50 stores in Mexico and other Latin American countries over seven years.

Dallas -- Zale Corp. on Thursday posted a better than expected second quarter profit as sales rose at its namesake chain and it cut selling and administrative costs. The company restated its forecast that it will return to profit for its current fiscal year, which ends in late July.

Net profit in the quarter ended January 31, 2012, rose to $41.2 million, compared with $28.8 in the year-ago period.

Revenues rose 1.1% to $671 million. Overall same-store sales increased 2.8%, with a 3.6% increase at Zales and Zales Outlets.
 

Mooresville, N.C. -- Lowe’s announced that Lara Lee will join the company as SVP customer experience design, effective Feb. 25. She will report to Robert J. (Bob) Gfeller, customer experience design executive.
 
Lee joined Lowe’s from global design and innovation firm Continuum, where she served as chief innovation and operating officer.

Lee will be responsible for translating business strategies into integrated, multichannel experiences that deliver value to home improvement consumers.

Check out the video of the latest jewel in  Simons' department store portfolio. The 118,00-sq.-ft. store, in West Edmonton Mall,  Edmonton, Alberta (Canada) took top honors in Chain's Store Age's Retail Store of the Year Design competition.

Click here

Atlanta -- Cincinnati-based Phillips Edison–ARC Shopping Center REIT has announced the acquisition of Macland Pointe, a 79,699-sq.-ft. shopping center anchored by a Publix grocery store and located in the Greater Atlanta, Georgia Metro Area.  

The acquisition of Macland Pointe brings the company's total portfolio to 34 properties anchored by 13 grocers in 15 states.

Macland Pointe is 92.8% occupied and anchored by a 55,999-sq.-ft. Publix.

Tucson, Ariz. -- Presidential Pools and Spas said it is planning to relocate its Northwest Tucson store to the Shops at Costco Plaza.

The 3,369-sq.-ft. store to slated to open on March 1.

New York -- The SPECS conference, presented each year by Chain Store Age, will debut a real estate track as part of the 49th annual event. Held in Dallas from March 17 to March 20 at the Hilton Anatole, SPECS will feature real estate workshops designed toward educating and informing the retail development executives who attend the SPECS conference.