News

Milwaukee Pick ‘n Save center sold
Chicago-based Newport Capital Partners purchased a 69,749-sq.-ft. center anchored by Pick ‘n Save the Milwaukee area. Terms of the deal, brokered by Mid-American Real Estate Corp., were not disclosed. Other tenants in the center at the Intersection of I-41/45 and Mayfair Road in Wauwatosa include Firehouse Subs, Mattress Firm, and Supercuts. The sellers were New York-based DRA Advisors and Atlanta-based RCG Partners.
Tupperware sells Florida center for $121 million
Crosslands Shopping Center, a joint development of Tupperware Brands and O’Connor Capital Partners, has been sold for $121 million just two years after opening in Kissimmee, Florida, according to a report in the Orlando Business Sentinel. The Hampshire Companies, a New Jersey-based real estate firm, announced that it had acquired the center on behalf of an unnamed foreign investor. Crosslands is located within the Osceola Corporate Center, not far from Tupperware headquarters in Orlando.

Study: Self-service checkout technology may encourage shoplifting

Self-service checkout technology, including dedicated lanes and smartphone apps, may translate into an increased shrinkage rate for retailers. That’s according to a study of retailers in the United States, Britain and other European countries conducted by the University of Leicester in England, the New York Times reported.
Schimenti Construction to unveil nine new stores at One World Trade Center

Schimenti Construction will play a major role in the opening of the Westfield World Trade Center retail center and transportation hub in downtown Manhattan on Aug. 16. The Ridgefield, Conn.-based firm served as the general contractor for nine stores in the new retail and center, developing spaces for Banana Republic, H&M, Fossil, Victoria’s Secret, Under Armour, COS, Breitling, & Other Stories, and Cole Haan.
Big merger in digital signage

Stratacache has acquired majority control of Scala Inc.
Off-pricer announces further Canadian expansion

Nordstrom Rack has announced a fourth location as it makes preparations to drop anchor north of the border. Nordstrom announced that Nordstrom Rack will open a 35,000-sq.-ft. store at South Edmonton Common in Edmonton, Alberta, in fall 2018. The property is owned and managed by Cameron Corporation and CREIT.
Robot welcomes shoppers at high-tech store in Palo Alto

A start-up consumer electronics retailer has deployed a friendly-looking, white plastic robot named Pepper to greet shoppers. In a two-week test, high-tech retailer B8ta is the first retail store in the United States to deploy the humanoid robot, which is from Japan’s SoftBank Robotics, Mercurynews.com reported.
J.C. Penney narrows loss as rebuilding progresses

J.C. Penney Co. continues to make progress in its turnaround efforts as its narrowed its second quarter loss and posted a gain in same-store sales even as Macy’s and Kohl’s posted declines. The retailer also reaffirmed its full year forecast of a 3%- to 4% increase in same-store sales. It’s been a busy few months for Penney, which has been opening expanded appliance departments and testing in-store partnerships with Ashley Furniture and Empire Today.
Retail sales stall in July

Consumers cooled their spending in July. Retail sales were flat in July, in line with a revised 0.8% gain in June, according to figures released Friday by the Commerce Department. The report ended three straight months of monthly gains. Sales in July rose 2.3% from a year ago. Excluding automobiles and parts sales, sales fell 0.3% in July — the weakest reading since January, after a 0.9% gain in the prior month.
First Look: Target, Lincoln Park, Chicago

Target Corp. has brought its new flexible-format store model to Chicago’s Lincoln Park North. The 33,000-sq.-ft. store, which features Target’s first Freshii café, has been carefully curated for the neighborhood, and includes home items sized for condos and small space living and artwork that reflects the local culture and community. The creative force behind the bold art installations was hometown artist Cody Hudson and his team at Struggle Inc.
Toy exec joins Gap board

The chief executive of Hasbro Inc. has joined the board of directors of Gap Inc., effective Aug. 12. The retailer said it is adding Brian D. Goldner to its board as the merchant focuses on its “next era of retail.” His appointment comes shortly after Gap posted a disappointing sales for the second quarter.
Department store offers more flexible, personalized loyalty program

Nordstrom Inc. is enhancing the rewards it offers customers via its loyalty program. The retailer partnered with Aimia Inc., a data-driven marketing and loyalty analytics company, to expand the Nordstrom Rewards loyalty program. The expanded program launched in Nordstrom stores in the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico, and on Nordstrom.com in May 2016. In the first three months, Nordstrom has enrolled approximately 1.7 million new members.